Large-amplitude polar electromechanical coupling in ferroelectric fluids

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Abstract

Abstract Fluids, by their nature, lack positional order and therefore struggle to generate mechanical forces beyond the piconewton scale, limiting their ability to deforming and reshaping their surroundings. Here, we introduce a class of structured fluids that integrate liquid-crystalline and ferroelectric orders, enabling exceptionally sensitive and large-amplitude electromechanical transduction that is unattainable with traditional fluids. The ferroelectric lamellar order enhances local topological forces, reaching levels exceeding micronewtons, which is three orders of magnitude greater than those observed in non-lamellar fluids. This discovery establishes a new principle of liquid-matter mechanics that links topology and deformation, paving the way for approaches to in-situ manipulation and shape control of micro-objects embedded in fluids.
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Large-amplitude polar electromechanical coupling in ferroelectric fluids | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Large-amplitude polar electromechanical coupling in ferroelectric fluids Satoshi AYA, Yu Zou, Jiantao Liang, Junchen Zhou, Zihua Chen, and 4 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8528667/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Fluids, by their nature, lack positional order and therefore struggle to generate mechanical forces beyond the piconewton scale, limiting their ability to deforming and reshaping their surroundings. Here, we introduce a class of structured fluids that integrate liquid-crystalline and ferroelectric orders, enabling exceptionally sensitive and large-amplitude electromechanical transduction that is unattainable with traditional fluids. The ferroelectric lamellar order enhances local topological forces, reaching levels exceeding micronewtons, which is three orders of magnitude greater than those observed in non-lamellar fluids. This discovery establishes a new principle of liquid-matter mechanics that links topology and deformation, paving the way for approaches to in-situ manipulation and shape control of micro-objects embedded in fluids. Physical sciences/Physics/Condensed-matter physics/Structure of solids and liquids Physical sciences/Materials science/Soft materials/Liquid crystals Physical sciences/Physics/Condensed-matter physics/Ferroelectrics and multiferroics Full Text Additional Declarations There is NO Competing Interest. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-8528667","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":577539643,"identity":"788ed3de-4f97-461b-9b58-a21c93143a3c","order_by":0,"name":"Satoshi 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