Using molecular dynamics with a first-principles-based force field (denoted MSXX), we show that large electrostrictive strains at extremely high frequencies (over ) can be achieved in a poly(vinylidene-fluoride) nanoactuator if the packing density of the polymer chains is chosen appropriately. We control the packing density by assembling the polymer chains on a silicon ⟨111⟩ surface with one-half coverage. Under these conditions, the equilibrium, zero electric field conformation of the polymer contains a combination of gauche and trans bonds. This structure can be transformed to an all- conformation by applying an external electric field. Such molecular transformation is accompanied by a large deformation in the direction of the polymer chains. The device shows typical electrostrictive behavior with strain proportional to the square of the polarization.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
21 February 2005
Research Article|
February 15 2005
Large electrostrictive strain at gigahertz frequencies in a polymer nanoactuator: Computational device design
Alejandro Strachan;
Alejandro Strachan
a)
Theoretical Division, MS G756, Los Alamos National Laboratory
, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545
Search for other works by this author on:
William A. Goddard, III
William A. Goddard, III
Materials and Process Simulation Center, Beckman Institute (139-74) California Institute of Technology
, Pasadena, California 91125
Search for other works by this author on:
a)
Author to whom all correspondence should be addressed; electronic mail: [email protected]
Appl. Phys. Lett. 86, 083103 (2005)
Article history
Received:
September 16 2004
Accepted:
December 07 2004
Citation
Alejandro Strachan, William A. Goddard; Large electrostrictive strain at gigahertz frequencies in a polymer nanoactuator: Computational device design. Appl. Phys. Lett. 21 February 2005; 86 (8): 083103. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1862343
Download citation file:
Pay-Per-View Access
$40.00
Sign In
You could not be signed in. Please check your credentials and make sure you have an active account and try again.
Citing articles via
Roadmap on photonic metasurfaces
Sebastian A. Schulz, Rupert. F. Oulton, et al.
Sputter epitaxy of ScAlN films on GaN high electron mobility transistor structures
Tomoya Okuda, Shunsuke Ota, et al.
Special issue APL organic and hybrid photodetectors
Karl Leo, Canek Fuentes-Hernandez, et al.
Related Content
Gigahertz breathing oscillators based on carbon nanoscrolls
Appl. Phys. Lett. (October 2009)
Design and simulation of a wireframe DNA origami nanoactuator
J. Chem. Phys. (July 2024)
Ni-Mn-Ga shape memory nanoactuation
Appl. Phys. Lett. (January 2014)
A controllable collapsed/circular nanoactuator based on carbon nanotube
Appl. Phys. Lett. (March 2013)