Strategies to instigate superior electromechanical response in dielectric materials via converse flexoelectricity

Various strategies to achieve superior converse flexoelectric response, qualitatively and quantitatively, in dielectric materials are presented. For the qualitative aspect, a novel approach for achieving converse flexoelectric effect independent of geometry or material composition of dielectric materials, by having modified electrical boundary conditions is presented. The theoretical investigation of the proposed methodology is presented and compared with the existing methods (functional grading and trapezoid-shaped sample). Later, the hybrid configurations of existing methods with the proposed strategy are analyzed and are found to enhance the actuation in some cases while decreasing in others, suggesting the possibility of a quantitatively superior effect. While the proposed method of varying electric field direction is established as an alternative to existing methods to induce electric field gradient, the FGM is found to exhibit up to 380% actuation of the closest non-hybrid strategy, i.e. trapezoid geometry.