Phase-Transition-Based Thermal Conductivity in Anti-Ferroelectric Materials
AssigneeSandia Corporation
InventorsJon Ihlefeld, Patrick Edward Hopkins
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Thermal conductivity can be altered by applying an electric field to an antiferroelectric material or a pressure to a ferroelectric material, thereby inducing a phase transition. The materials have compositions close to a phase boundary separating the ferroelectric and antiferroelectric phases, such as PbZr1−xTixO3 (with x≦0.08), Pb(NbxZrySnzTi1-y-z)O3, (Pb,La)(ZrySnzTi1-y-z)O3, NaNbO3, Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3, or AgNbO3. By inducing a phase transition using either an electric field or pressure, the resulting change in the thermal conductivity can be used to provide a thermal switch or a continuous thermal conductivity tuning element.
Claims10
A method to control thermal conductivity in an antiferroelectric material, comprising:
- providing an antiferroelectric material;
- and
- applying a sufficient electric field to the material to induce an
- antiferroelectric-to-ferroelectric phase change in the material, thereby altering the
- thermal conductivity of the material.
A method to control thermal conductivity in a ferroelectric material, comprising:
- providing a ferroelectric material;
- and
- applying a sufficient pressure to the material to induce a ferroelectric-to-antiferroelectric phase change in the material, thereby altering the thermal conductivity of the material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.