abstract
Coupling between mechanical and electrical phenomena is ubiquitous at the nano-and molecular scales, with examples ranging from piezoelectricity and flexoelectricity in perovskites to complex molecular transformations in redox active molecules and ion channels. This article delineates the field of nanoelectromechanics enabled by recent advances in scanning probe, indentation, and interferometric techniques and provides a unified outlook at a number of related topics, including membrane and surface flexoelectricity, local piezoelectricity in ferroelectrics and associated devices, and electromechanical molecular machines. It also summarizes experimental and theoretical challenges on the pathway to visualize, control, and manipulate electromechanical activity on the nanoscale and molecular levels.
keywords
SCANNING PROBE MICROSCOPY; THIN-FILMS; NANOSCALE; INTERFEROMETER; FERROELECTRICS; DOMAIN
subject category
Materials Science; Physics
authors
Kalinin, SV; Setter, N; Kholkin, AL
our authors
Andrei Kholkin
Retired ResearcherProjects
Origin of polar state in relaxors via Scanning Probe Microscopy (PTDC/FIS/81442/2006)
Polarization-driven self-assembly of organic and biomaterials (PTDC/CTM/73030/2006)
acknowledgements
SVK acknowledges support from the division of Scientific User Facilities, DOE BES. AK is grateful to the Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia (Portugal) for the financial support within national projects PTDC/FIS/81442/2006 and PTDC/CTM/73030/2006.