Effect of strong electric fields on ferroelectric and metal-insulator transitions

TL;DR

This paper investigates how strong electric fields influence phase transition temperatures in ferroelectric, antiferroelectric, and metal-insulator materials, revealing a decrease in transition temperatures and relationships between charge gaps and transition points.

Contribution

It provides a quantitative analysis of electric field effects on transition temperatures and establishes a connection between charge gaps and metal-insulator transition temperatures.

Findings

Strong electric fields lower transition temperatures.

Critical electric field suppresses low-temperature phases.

Relation between charge gap and transition temperature is identified.

Abstract

It is shown that a sufficiently strong external electric field causes a decrease in the transition temperature of ferroelectric, antiferroelectric, and metal-insulator transitions. The temperature dependence of the critical electric field suppressing a low-temperature phase is obtained. The relation between the low-temperature charge gap (the band gap) in the insulating phase and the metal-insulator transition temperature is also inferred.