In the ferroelectric nematic phase, spontaneous polarization order is long-range, while the material retains fluidity which allows for changes in the soft electric polarization structure to be generated by material flow. In the paper just published in Advance Functional Materials, Peter Medle Rupnik and co-workers from the Department of Complex Matter at the Jožef Stefan Institute demonstrate direct viscous mechano-electric response for a room-temperature ferroelectric nematic material. Mechano-electric transduction is observed in the frequency range 1-200 Hz via a simple demonstrator device where the liquid is placed into a deformable container with electrodes. The electric current induced by both periodic and irregular actuation of the container is examined. The results show that the mechano-electric features of the material promise a considerable applicative perspective spanning from sensitive tactile sensors to energy harvesting devices.
You can read the article here: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adfm.202402554