TY - JOUR
T1 - Field-induced giant static dielectric constant in nano-particle aggregates at room temperature
AU - Chen, F.
AU - Shulman, J.
AU - Tsui, S.
AU - Xue, Y. Y.
AU - Wen, W.
AU - Sheng, P.
AU - Chu, C. W.
N1 - Funding Information:
The work in Houston is supported in part by US National Science Foundation Grant No. DMR-9804325, the T. L. L. Temple Foundation, the John J. and Rebecca Moores Endowment, the Strategic Partnership for Research in Nanotechnology and the State of Texas through the Texas Center for Superconductivity at the University of Houston; and at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory by the Director, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Division of Materials Sciences and Engineering of the US Department of Energy under Contract No. DE-AC03-76SF00098.
PY - 2006/6/1
Y1 - 2006/6/1
N2 - The analogy between magnetism and electricity was established by Maxwell in the 19th century, despite the subtle difference. While magnetic materials display paramagnetism, ferromagnetism, antiferromagnetism and diamagnetism, only paraelectricity, ferroelectricity and antiferrolelectricity have been found in dielectric materials. The missing 'diaelectricity' may be found if there exists a material that has a de-polarization opposing the electric field or a negative dielectric susceptibility ε′ -1, with ε′ being the real part of the relative dielectric constant. Both of these properties have been observed in nano-particle aggregates under a dc electric bias field at room temperature. A possible collective effect in the nano-particle aggregates is proposed to account for the observation. 'Diaelectricity' implies overscreening by polarization to the external charges. Materials with a negative static ε′ are expected to provide attraction to similar charges and unusual scattering to electromagnetic waves with possible profound implications for high temperature superconductivity and communications.
AB - The analogy between magnetism and electricity was established by Maxwell in the 19th century, despite the subtle difference. While magnetic materials display paramagnetism, ferromagnetism, antiferromagnetism and diamagnetism, only paraelectricity, ferroelectricity and antiferrolelectricity have been found in dielectric materials. The missing 'diaelectricity' may be found if there exists a material that has a de-polarization opposing the electric field or a negative dielectric susceptibility ε′ -1, with ε′ being the real part of the relative dielectric constant. Both of these properties have been observed in nano-particle aggregates under a dc electric bias field at room temperature. A possible collective effect in the nano-particle aggregates is proposed to account for the observation. 'Diaelectricity' implies overscreening by polarization to the external charges. Materials with a negative static ε′ are expected to provide attraction to similar charges and unusual scattering to electromagnetic waves with possible profound implications for high temperature superconductivity and communications.
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U2 - 10.1080/14786430600615025
DO - 10.1080/14786430600615025
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:33646502431
SN - 1478-6435
VL - 86
SP - 2393
EP - 2398
JO - Philosophical Magazine
JF - Philosophical Magazine
IS - 16
ER -