Research Activities

  • Theoretical framework of flexoelectricity (PIs: D. Codony, H. Mohammadi, I. Arias)
    • Develop a comprehensive theoretical framework for flexoelectricity in infinitesimal and finite deformation, establishing the precise connections between the different families of formulations, their physical interpretation and the physical meaning of the corresponding set of high-order boundary conditions.

    • Theoretical framework of flexoelectricity

    • References
      • Codony, D., Gupta, P., Marco, O. and Arias, I. (2021), Modeling flexoelectricity in soft dielectrics at finite deformation, Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids 146, 104182.
      • Codony, D. and Arias, I. (2021a), Lifshitz-invariant flexoelectricity, to be submitted.
  • Efficient numerical solution of high-order general electromechanics problems (PIs: I. Arias)
    • Development of advanced discretization methods, including immersed B-splines and C0 penalty, for the efficient solution of the 4th-order PDE system arising in flexoelectricity in general geometries, material and electrode configurations.

    • Efficient numerical solution of high-order general electromechanics problems

    • References
      • Codony, D., Marco, O., Fernández-Méndez, S. and Arias, I. (2019), An immersed boundary hierarchical b-spline method for flexoelectricity. Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering 354, 750-782.
      • Barceló-Mercader, J., Codony, D., Marco, O., Fernández-Méndez, S. and Arias, I. (2020), Weak enforcement of interface continuity and generalized periodicity in high-order electromenchanical problems, under review.
      • Ventura, J., Codony, D., Fernández-Méndez, S. (2020), A C0 interior penalty finite element method for flexoelectricity, under review, also in arXiv:2008.12391
      • Codony, D., Fernández-Méndez, S. and Arias, I. (2021), Nitsche's method for finite deformation flexoelectricity, in preparation
      • Codony, D., Fernández-Méndez, S. and Arias, I. (2021), Residual-based weak form stabilization for flexoelectricity, in preparation.
      • Barceló-Mercader, J., Codony, D., Fernández-Méndez, S. and Arias, I. (2021), Generalized periodicity for flexoelectric boundary value problems, in preparation
  • Reduced theories of flexoelectric beams and shells (PIs: P. Gupta, D. Millán, I. Arias)
    • Development of reduced theories for non-linear flexoelectric beams and non-linear shells to gain understanding of the physics and aid the design of new devices.

    • Reduced theories of flexoelectric beams and shells

    • References
      • Codony, D., Gupta, P., Marco, O. and Arias, I. (2021), Modeling flexoelectricity in soft dielectrics at finite deformation, Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids 146, 104182.
      • Millán, D., Gupta, P. and Arias, I. (2021), A kirchhoff-love theory for small deformation in flexoelectric thin shells, in preparation.
  • Flexoelectricity from first principles (PIs: D. Codony, M. Dingle, I. Arias, P. Suryanarayana)
    • Development of electronic structure calculations of flexoelectric systems to establish a precise connection with continuum models both guiding the development of enriched models accounting for nanoscale effects and finite surface effects and characterizing continuum model parameters.

    • Flexoelectricity from first principles

    • References
      • Kumar, S., Codony, D., Arias, I., Suryanarayana, P., Flexoelectricity in atomic monolayers from first principles, Nanoscale, 13, 1600-1607, 2020.
      • Codony, D., Arias, I. and Suryanarayana, P. (2020), Transversal flexoelectric coefficient for nanostructures at finite deformations from first principles, under review, also in arXiv:2010.01747.
  • Fundamental manifestation of flexoelectricity in torsion mechanics (PIs: I. Arias, A. Mocci, A. Abdollahi)
    • Development of new methods to mobilize flexoelectricity under torsion to provide understanding about the fundamental physics and flexoelectricity characterization tools.

    • Fundamental manifestation of flexoelectricity in torsion mechanics

    • References
      • Mocci, A., Abdollahi, A. and Arias, I. (2020), Chasing the elusive shear flexoelectricity, under review.
      • Mocci, A., Abdollahi, A. and Arias, I. (2020), Flexoelectricity under torsion, under review.
  • Fundamental manifestation of flexoelectricity in strain and electric field singularities: cracks, ferroelectric domain walls, creasing, AFM: (PIs: A. Abdollahi, J. Barceló-mercader, H. Mohammadi, I. Arias, external collaborators (G. Catalan, N. Domingo (ICN2))
    • Exploration of the physics of flexoelectricity in situations where large strain or electric field gradients develop.

    • Fundamental manifestation of flexoelectricity in strain and electric field singularities: cracks, ferroelectric domain walls, creasing, AFM:

    • References
      • Abdollahi, A., Domingo, N., Arias, I. and Catalan, G. (2019), Converse flexoelectricity yields large piezoresponse force microscopy signals in non-piezoelectric materials, Nature Communications 10, 1266.
      • Abdollahi, A., Peco, C., Millán, D., Arroyo, M., Catalan, G. and Arias, I. (2015), Fracture toughening and toughness asymmetry induced by flexoelectricity, Phys. Rev. B 92, 094101
      • Mohammadi, H. and Arias, I. (2021), Flexoelectricity causes notch-strengthening and insensitive fracture, to be submitted.
      • Mohammadi, H., Marco, O. and Arias, I. (2021), Surface instabilities in soft dielectrics, in preparation.
      • Barceló-Mercader, J., Abdollahi, A. and Arias, I. (2021), Flexoelectricity mediated fracture along ferroelectric domain walls, in preparation.
  • Design and characterization of flexoelectric devices and metamaterials (PIs: I. Arias, A. Mocci, D. Codony, P. Gupta)
    • Development of new concepts for the design of effectively piezoelectric metamaterials and devices from non-piezoelectric components.

    • Design and characterization of flexoelectric devices and metamaterials

    • References
      • Mocci, A., Barceló-Mercader, J., Codony, D., and Arias, I. (2020), Geometrically polarized architected dielectrics with effective piezoelectricity, under review
      • Codony, D., Mocci, A., Marco, O. and Arias, I. (2021), Wheel-shaped and helicoidal torsional exoelectric devices, in preparation.
      • Mocci, A., Gupta, P. and Arias, I. (2021), Computational homogenization of flexoelectricity, in preparation.
      • Codony, D. and Arias, I. (2021), Switchable flexoelectric device by buckling, in preparation.
  • Theoretical and computational modeling of flexo-photovoltaics (PIs: I. Arias, A. Abdollahi)
    • Development of a theoretical and computational framework for the simulation of flexo-photovoltaics aiming at the design and optimization of a new family of solar-cells.

    • Theoretical and computational modeling of flexo-photovoltaics