Giant Enhancement of the Electromechanical Coupling in Soft Heterogeneous Dielectrics

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that by using heterogeneous soft elastomers, the electric field required for actuation can be significantly reduced, enabling giant deformations in electroactive materials.

Contribution

It introduces a novel approach to enhance electromechanical coupling in soft dielectrics through heterogeneity, supported by theoretical models.

Findings

Giant deformation achieved at lower electric fields

Heterogeneity dramatically enhances electromechanical coupling

Theoretical models illustrate the mechanism of enhancement

Abstract

Electroactive soft elastomers require huge electric field for a meaningful actuation. We demonstrate that this can be dramatically reduced and giant deformations can be produced by application of suitably chosen heterogeneous actuators. The mechanism by which the enhancement is achieved is described and illustrated with the aid of both idealized and periodic models.