X. Wen, Q. Ma, A. Mannino, M. Fernandez-Serra, S. Shen, G. Catalan
{"title":"水冰的柔性电性和表面铁电性","authors":"X. Wen, Q. Ma, A. Mannino, M. Fernandez-Serra, S. Shen, G. Catalan","doi":"10.1038/s41567-025-02995-6","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p>Frozen water at ambient pressure—common ice, also known as hexagonal Ih ice—is a non-polar material, even though individual water molecules are polar. Consequently, ice is not piezoelectric and cannot generate electricity under pressure. However, it may in principle generate electricity under bending, because the coupling between polarization and strain gradient (flexoelectricity) is always allowed by symmetry. Here we measure the flexoelectricity of ice and find it to be comparable to that of benchmark electroceramics such as TiO<sub>2</sub> and SrTiO<sub>3</sub>. Moreover, the sensitivity of flexoelectric measurements to surface boundary conditions has revealed a ferroelectric phase transition around 160 K confined within the near-surface region of the ice slabs. Beyond potential applications in low-cost transducers made in situ in cold locations, these findings have profound consequences for our understanding of natural phenomena involving ice: our calculations of the flexoelectric charge density generated in ice–graupel collisions inside thunderstorm clouds compare favourably to the experimental charge transferred in such events, suggesting a possible participation of ice flexoelectricity in the generation of lightning.</p>","PeriodicalId":19100,"journal":{"name":"Nature Physics","volume":"13 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":18.4000,"publicationDate":"2025-08-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":"{\"title\":\"Flexoelectricity and surface ferroelectricity of water ice\",\"authors\":\"X. Wen, Q. Ma, A. Mannino, M. Fernandez-Serra, S. Shen, G. Catalan\",\"doi\":\"10.1038/s41567-025-02995-6\",\"DOIUrl\":null,\"url\":null,\"abstract\":\"<p>Frozen water at ambient pressure—common ice, also known as hexagonal Ih ice—is a non-polar material, even though individual water molecules are polar. Consequently, ice is not piezoelectric and cannot generate electricity under pressure. However, it may in principle generate electricity under bending, because the coupling between polarization and strain gradient (flexoelectricity) is always allowed by symmetry. Here we measure the flexoelectricity of ice and find it to be comparable to that of benchmark electroceramics such as TiO<sub>2</sub> and SrTiO<sub>3</sub>. Moreover, the sensitivity of flexoelectric measurements to surface boundary conditions has revealed a ferroelectric phase transition around 160 K confined within the near-surface region of the ice slabs. Beyond potential applications in low-cost transducers made in situ in cold locations, these findings have profound consequences for our understanding of natural phenomena involving ice: our calculations of the flexoelectric charge density generated in ice–graupel collisions inside thunderstorm clouds compare favourably to the experimental charge transferred in such events, suggesting a possible participation of ice flexoelectricity in the generation of lightning.</p>\",\"PeriodicalId\":19100,\"journal\":{\"name\":\"Nature Physics\",\"volume\":\"13 1\",\"pages\":\"\"},\"PeriodicalIF\":18.4000,\"publicationDate\":\"2025-08-27\",\"publicationTypes\":\"Journal Article\",\"fieldsOfStudy\":null,\"isOpenAccess\":false,\"openAccessPdf\":\"\",\"citationCount\":\"0\",\"resultStr\":null,\"platform\":\"Semanticscholar\",\"paperid\":null,\"PeriodicalName\":\"Nature Physics\",\"FirstCategoryId\":\"101\",\"ListUrlMain\":\"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41567-025-02995-6\",\"RegionNum\":1,\"RegionCategory\":\"物理与天体物理\",\"ArticlePicture\":[],\"TitleCN\":null,\"AbstractTextCN\":null,\"PMCID\":null,\"EPubDate\":\"\",\"PubModel\":\"\",\"JCR\":\"Q1\",\"JCRName\":\"PHYSICS, MULTIDISCIPLINARY\",\"Score\":null,\"Total\":0}","platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Nature Physics","FirstCategoryId":"101","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41567-025-02995-6","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"PHYSICS, MULTIDISCIPLINARY","Score":null,"Total":0}
Flexoelectricity and surface ferroelectricity of water ice
Frozen water at ambient pressure—common ice, also known as hexagonal Ih ice—is a non-polar material, even though individual water molecules are polar. Consequently, ice is not piezoelectric and cannot generate electricity under pressure. However, it may in principle generate electricity under bending, because the coupling between polarization and strain gradient (flexoelectricity) is always allowed by symmetry. Here we measure the flexoelectricity of ice and find it to be comparable to that of benchmark electroceramics such as TiO2 and SrTiO3. Moreover, the sensitivity of flexoelectric measurements to surface boundary conditions has revealed a ferroelectric phase transition around 160 K confined within the near-surface region of the ice slabs. Beyond potential applications in low-cost transducers made in situ in cold locations, these findings have profound consequences for our understanding of natural phenomena involving ice: our calculations of the flexoelectric charge density generated in ice–graupel collisions inside thunderstorm clouds compare favourably to the experimental charge transferred in such events, suggesting a possible participation of ice flexoelectricity in the generation of lightning.
期刊介绍:
Nature Physics is dedicated to publishing top-tier original research in physics with a fair and rigorous review process. It provides high visibility and access to a broad readership, maintaining high standards in copy editing and production, ensuring rapid publication, and maintaining independence from academic societies and other vested interests.
The journal presents two main research paper formats: Letters and Articles. Alongside primary research, Nature Physics serves as a central source for valuable information within the physics community through Review Articles, News & Views, Research Highlights covering crucial developments across the physics literature, Commentaries, Book Reviews, and Correspondence.