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Al2O3/ZrO2 (A/Z) layers with embedded Pt nanoparticles (Pt-nps) at the interface of A/Z have been used to create a dielectric film with an enhanced permittivity. The Pt-nps and dielectrics are both grown by the atomic layer deposition process, which is complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor compatible. In order to control the thickness ratio of Pt-nps in the overall dielectrics more easily, the thickness of the ZrO2 layer is changed from 12 to 30 nm with a fixed thickness of 12 nm for Al2O3 and constant growth cycles of 70 for Pt-nps. The results show that the introduction of Pt-nps is beneficial to the enhancement of the dielectric permittivity. As the thickness of ZrO2 is 30 nm, the capacitance density increases from 2.5 to 5.1 fF/μm2 with the addition of Pt-nps, i.e., a doubling of the capacitance density achieved. Additionally, the leakage current at 2 V increases from 1.1 × 10−8 to 1.5 × 10−7 A/cm2. Furthermore, the dielectric breakdown field decreases from 5.4 to 2.7 MV/cm. The electric field distribution simulation and charging–discharging test imply that interfacial polarization is built at the interface of Pt-nps and the dielectric films, which contributes to the dielectric permittivity enhancement, and local electric field increasing in the affinity of Pt-nps gives rise to the deterioration of the leakage current and breakdown electric field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In ultrawide bandgap (UWBG) nitride and oxide semiconductors, increased bandgap (Eg) correlates with greater ionicity and strong electron–phonon coupling. This limits mobility through phonon scattering, localizes carriers via polarons and self-trapping, broadens optical transitions via dynamic disorder, and modifies the breakdown field. Herein, we use polarized optical transmission spectroscopy from 77 to 633 K to investigate the Urbach energy (Eu) for many orientations of Fe- and Sn-doped β-Ga2O3 bulk crystals. We find Eu values ranging from 60 to 140 meV at 293 K and that static (structural defects plus zero-point phonons) disorder contributes more to Eu than dynamic (finite temperature phonon-induced) disorder. This is evidenced by lack of systematic Eu anisotropy, and Eu correlating more with x-ray diffraction rocking-curve broadening than with Sn-doping. The lowest measured Eu are ∼10× larger than for traditional semiconductors, pointing out that band tail effects need to be carefully considered in these materials for high field electronics. We demonstrate that, because optical transmission through thick samples is sensitive to sub-gap absorption, the commonly used Tauc extraction of a bandgap from transmission through Ga2O3 >1–3 μm thick is subject to errors. Combining our Eu(T) from Fe-doped samples with Eg(T) from ellipsometry, we extract a measure of an effective electron–phonon coupling that increases in weighted second order deformation potential with temperature and a larger value for E||b than E||c. The large electron–phonon coupling in β-Ga2O3 suggests that theories of electrical breakdown for traditional semiconductors need expansion to account not just for lower scattering time but also for impact ionization thresholds fluctuating in both time and space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The unique ability of ferroelectrics to generate high voltage under shock loading is limited by electrical breakdown within the shock-compressed ferroelectric material. Breakdown is a hybrid process of initiation and growth. The possible mechanisms of electrical breakdown in ferroelectric films and bulk ceramics subjected to high-pressure shock loading are discussed and experiments designed to elucidate which mechanisms govern breakdown. Gigapascal shock loading experiments were performed on poled Pb0.99(Zr0.95Ti0.05)0.98Nb0.02O3 ferroelectric film specimens in the range of 32–156 μm thickness to determine the dependence of the breakdown field on thickness and on film specimens in the range of 4–16 mm length to determine the dependence of the breakdown field on the duration of shock compression. The resulting breakdown-field vs thickness and breakdown-field vs shock transit time dependencies are consistent with a hybrid electron emission initiation and Joule heating microchannel growth mechanism. Further analysis of data previously obtained on shock-compressed 0.27Pb(In1/2Nb1/2)O3–0.47Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3–0.26PbTiO3 ferrvoelectric single crystals and Pb(Zr0.65Ti0.35)O3, Pb0.99(Zr0.52Ti0.48)0.99Nb0.01O3, Pb0.99(Zr0.95Ti0.05)0.98Nb0.02O3 bulk ceramics is consistent with this dual mechanism. It appears that neither chemical composition nor microstructure (single crystal vs polycrystalline) of the ferroelectric material has a significant effect on the breakdown mechanism in shocked ferroelectrics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For microscale gaps, DC breakdown voltage is described theoretically and through simulation by accounting for field emission generated electrons and the subsequent ionization of neutral gas and ion-induced secondary electron emission. Here, we extend DC microscale breakdown theory to AC. Particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations show that breakdown voltage V varies linearly with gap distance d independent of frequency and the ion-induced secondary electron coefficient γ S E for d ≲ 4 μ m , where field emission dominates breakdown over ionization and avalanche. For d ≳ 4 μ m and γ S E = 0 , DC breakdown voltage increases linearly with d; for γ S E = 0.05 , DC breakdown voltage decreases to a minimum before beginning to increase at larger gap distances. For AC fields with γ S E = 0.05 , V behaves similarly to the DC case with the decrease corresponding to secondary emission occurring at higher voltages and larger gap distances with increasing frequency. At 10 GHz and γ S E = 0.05 , V resembles that of the DC case with γ S E = 0 up to ∼8 μm, suggesting that increasing the frequency effectively changes the number of ions striking the electrodes and the resulting electrons released. Phase space plots showing electron and ion velocities as a function of position across the gap show that electrons and ions are increasingly trapped within the gap with increasing frequency, reducing the number of ions that can strike the cathode and the subsequent secondary emission. Incorporating the resulting effective secondary emission coefficient for AC microscale gaps yields a simple phenomenologically based modification of the DC microscale gas breakdown equation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, interest in synthetic C4F7N as a gas insulator has been growing due to its unique insulation properties and low global warming potential. In spite of this, very few studies are devoted to the analysis of the electric breakdown of C4F7N and its mixtures with other dilutants such as CO2 and N2. In the present paper, we use a two-dimensional fluid model to analyze the electrical breakdown of the atmospheric pressure C4F7N/N2 mixture. We establish the influence of the C4F7N fraction in the mixture and the cathode voltage rise rate on the breakdown voltage. We find that the ratio between the electron attachment frequency and the voltage rise rate defines the streamer parameters. Namely, if the time scale of electron attachment to C4F7N is much faster than the voltage rise rate, the plasma electronegativity of the streamer body and of its head is extremely high, and it is difficult to define exactly the streamer head location. In the opposite case of the fast rise rates, the conventional streamers with sharp heads were obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conventional electrostatic solutions for two-dimensional (2D) electrodes possess edge singularities for the surface charge density σ and the normal component of the electric field E n. These singularities are generally non-physical because they admit infinite gradients of the concentration of free charge carriers. In particular, they are unacceptable in the studies of the local field sensitive effects, such as the electric breakdown and the ferroelectric domain reversal. We claim that account for diffusion of free charge carriers leads to the disappearance of the edge singularities. This generalization occurs consistently within the same basic concept of conduction. Specifically, we consider the case of U -biased circular disc electrode of radius a. Account for diffusion leads here to a strongly nonlinear integral 2D equation for the electrostatic potential φ (r). Numerical solution of this equation shows that the law σ (a) ∝ U 2 / a takes place. Outside a close vicinity of the disc edge, we stay close to the conventional electrostatic solution for φ and σ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reactivity of heterogeneous energetic materials (HEMs) intimately depends on the underlying microstructural effects. For reactive materials, key factors include the microstructure distribution, morphology, size scale of heterogeneities, reactant mixing, and chemical kinetics of the reactants. We report the development of a mesoscale model for simulating the evolutions of the hotspot field and associated reaction processes when such materials are exposed to external excitations. The model explicitly accounts for microstructure, interdiffusion between the reactant species, advection of the species mixture, and chemical kinetics of the reaction. An Arrhenius relation is used to capture the rate of reactive heat release. The particular material analyzed is a composite of poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-trifluoroethylene) and nanoaluminum [or P(VDF-TrFE)/nAl]. The excitation leading to the initial microstructural temperature increase that kicks off the exothermic reactive processes is the dissipative heating arising from dielectric breakdown under the electric field developed through piezoelectricity and flexoelectricity of P(VDF-TrFE). As such, the model resolves both the breakdown process and the diffusion, advection, and exothermic reaction processes. The evolutions of the temperature and species distribution fields under the combined effects of breakdown and chemistry are used to predict the effects of microstructure, diffusion, and kinetics on several key metrics characterizing the reactive responses of the material. This mesoscale framework admits the quantification of uncertainties in these predicted macroscopic behavior measures due to microstructure heterogeneity fluctuations through the use of multiple, random but statistically equivalent microstructure instantiations. Although the particular hotspot inducing mechanism considered is dielectric breakdown here, the framework can be adapted to analyze reaction initiation and propagation and establish microstructure–reaction behavior relations under other types of hotspot inducing mechanisms, such as thermomechanical inelastic dissipation, frictional heating, and laser or microwave excitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

β-Ga2O3 is of great interest for power electronic devices with efficiency beyond current generation Si, 4H-SiC, and GaN devices due to its large breakdown electric field of ∼8 MV/cm. However, taking advantage of this large field strength in power diodes requires device engineering to reduce leakage current that arises at high electric fields. In this work, we elucidate the current transport mechanisms of metal/TiO2/β-Ga2O3 diodes, showing that thermionic emission is an excellent descriptor of current in forward and reverse bias. It is shown that tunneling current is greatly suppressed, and consequently, that the diodes with the TiO2 interlayer can block orders of magnitude more current than Schottky barrier diodes with the same barrier heights. Finally, a 1200 V diode structure is designed based on the derived transport models, and calculated on- and off-state current characteristics closely align with those of state-of-the-art 4H-SiC commercial devices, indicating that this diode structure is ready to enable the realization of β-Ga2O3 power diodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dielectric energy storage capacitors offer great potential in pulsed power devices due to the high power density and fast charging-discharging rate. Designing a host material with high field-induced polarization is of importance for developing dielectric energy storage materials via further composition modulation. In this paper, we compare the microstructure, dielectric, and ferroelectric properties as well as the energy storage performance of samples K1/2Bi1/2TiO3(KBT), 75KBT-25BiFeO3 (KBTF25), and 88KBT-12Bi0.85Nd0.15FeO3 (KBNTF12) in detail. It is found that, among three samples, sample KBNTF12 possesses the most complex local structure coexisting of a four-distortions with different polarities; meanwhile, sample KBNTF12 behaves as a strong relaxor, thus giving a high field-induced polarization. Besides, sample KBNTF12 realizes the highest electric breakdown strength Eb among three samples, which is resorted to the highest resistivity of grain boundary. Highest ΔP and Eb of sample KBNTF12 among three samples render it achieve ultrahigh stored energy density Ws of 6.94 J/cm3, high recoverable energy density Wr of 5.23 J/cm3, and high efficiency η of 75.4%. Our work suggests that 88KBT-12BNF binary composition be an optimal candidate for dielectric energy storage ceramics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silicone rubber (SR) is an ideal dielectric elastomer substrate due to its excellent flexibility and fast response speed. However, the innate low dielectric permittivity (ε) of SR generally requires a rather high driving voltage that restricts its widespread application. Typical attempts to increase ε of SR usually deteriorate either its flexibility or electrical stability. Herein, conductive multi‐walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) were first surface modified with polyphenols (PNs) (MWCNT@PNs), aiming to facilitate its well dispersion within SR matrix, which may maintain the softness and electrical stability of SR via suppressing concentrated physical crosslinking and local leakage current flow. Then, five‐layered MWCNT@PNs/SR composites were prepared with the outer two insulating layers of SR while middle three dielectric layers of MWCNT@PNs filled SR. The multilayered structure further hindered the formation of conductive pathways through the composites, promising a high breakdown strength of the composites. Therefore, the multilayered MWCNT@PNs/SR composites exhibited increased ε, maintained low Young's modulus and electrical breakdown strength compared with pure SR of the same five‐layered structure. Among them, the composite with uniformly distributed MWCNT@PNs (m‐1: 1: 1) showed a highest actuation strain of 11.9% (at 19.6 kV mm−1), which was 4.1 times higher than that of SR (2.9% at 19.1 kV mm−1). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of lead-free dielectric capacitors with high recoverable energy storage density and high energy storage efficiency is important for improving the overall performance of electronic and power systems. BaTiO 3 (BTO) is one of the most common ferroelectric materials and has attracted much attention for energy storage applications in the past decades due to its excellent dielectric and ferroelectric properties. However, high remnant polarization and low electrical breakdown strength of BTO limit its development in energy storage applications. Many efforts (e.g., elements doping, interface/heterostructure, etc.) have been made to improve the energy storage density of BTO thin films. In this paper, Ba 1-x Ni x TiO 3 thin films (x = 0, 0.02, 0.04, 0.06, 0.08; abbreviated as BN x T) were synthesized via sol-gel and spin-coated method. The effect of Ni doping on the structural, dielectric, ferroelectric and energy storage properties of BTO thin films has been studied. The results confirmed that with the increase of Ni doping, a second phase arises and the dielectric constant decreases. While appropriate Ni doping led to the improvement of the breakdown strength, further increase of Ni deteriorated the energy storage because of the high oxygen vacancy. Finally, optimized energy storage performance was obtained for BN 0.04 T thin film: dielectric constant of 401, dielectric loss of 0.002, recoverable energy density of 20.2 J/cm3 and energy storage efficiency of 83.6% at 965 kV/cm. Meanwhile, the remnant and maximum polarization of the films were 0.06 μC/cm2 and 50 μC/cm2, respectively. BN 0.04 T thin film has an excellent application prospect and is expected to appear as a component in the future composite energy storage film system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study BNBCTS ceramics were co-doped with Fe and Sb to form (Bi 0.5 Na 0.5) 0.93 (Ba 0.945 Ca 0.055) 0.07 (Ti (0.9946-x) Sn 0.0054)(Fe 0.5 Sb 0.5) x O 3 ceramics (denoted as BNBCTS-xFS) with various x content and were prepared via the solid-state combustion technique to enhance the electrical and energy storage performance. The effect of co-doping Fe and Sb on the phase formation, defect dipole, microstructure, electrical and energy storage properties of BNBCTS-xFS ceramics was studied. When x content increased from 0.0 to 0.030, the amount of the rhombohedral (R) phase decreased from 51 to 24 % while the tetragonal (T) phase increased from 49 to 76 %. The increased Fe and Sb content increased the defect dipole of singly/doubly charged oxygen-vacancies (V O ∙ / V O ∙ ∙ ) and caused more Ti4+ to transition to Ti3+, which caused the transition temperature of the ferroelectric phase to relaxor state (T F-R) in the ceramics to drop to below room temperature and it exhibited relaxor characteristics at room temperature. The ceramic with an x content of 0.010 had the largest grain size (3.06 μm), excellence ferroelectric properties (P r ∼31.04 μC/cm2, P m ∼38.98 μC/cm2 and E c ∼18.28 kV/cm), the largest electro strain (∼0.175 %) and a large d 33 * of 350 pm/V. Moreover, when x = 0.020, the ergodic relaxor ceramic showed the smallest grain size (1.03 μm), the lowest remanant polarization (P r) of 4.52 μC/cm2 and the lowest coercive field (E c) of 8.37 kV/cm, at an electric field of 60 kV/cm. More importantly, energy storage properties at the electric breakdown strength (E b = 120 kV/cm) of the ceramics with an x content of 0.020 exhibited a recoverable energy storage density (W rec) of 1.81 J/cm3, a total energy storage density (W total) of 2.95 J/cm3 and an efficiency (η) of 61.30%, with excellent thermal (∼25–150 °C) and frequency stability (∼1–100 Hz). This study provides new insights into the modulation of BNBCTS ceramics with Fe and Sb co-doping, which could effectively improve the electrical properties and energy storage properties of BNBCTS-xFS ceramics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biotite, an iron-rich mineral belonging to the trioctahedral mica group, is a naturally abundant layered material (LM) exhibiting attractive electronic properties for application in nanodevices. Biotite stands out as a non-degradable LM under ambient conditions, featuring high-quality basal cleavage—a significant advantage for van der Waals heterostructure (vdWH) applications. In this work, we present the micro-mechanical exfoliation of biotite down to monolayers (1Ls), yielding ultrathin flakes with large areas and atomically flat surfaces. To identify and characterize the mineral, we conducted a multi-elemental analysis of biotite using energy-dispersive spectroscopy mapping. Additionally, synchrotron x-ray fluorescence and infrared nano-spectroscopy were employed to probe its iron content and vibrational signature in few-layer form, respectively, with sensitivity to the layer number. We have also observed good morphological and structural stability in time (up to 12 months) and no important changes in their physical properties after thermal annealing processes in ultrathin biotite flakes. Conductive atomic force microscopy evaluated its electrical capacity, revealing an electrical breakdown strength of approximately 1 V nm−1. Finally, we explore the use of biotite as a substrate and encapsulating LM in vdWH applications. We have performed optical and magneto-optical measurements at low temperatures. We find that ultrathin biotite flakes work as a good substrate for 1L-MoSe2, comparable to hexagonal boron nitride flakes, but it induces a small change of the 1L-MoSe2 g -factor values, most likely due to natural impurities on its crystal structure. Furthermore, our results show that biotite flakes are useful systems to protect sensitive LMs such as black phosphorus from degradation for up to 60 days in ambient air. Our study introduces biotite as a promising, cost-effective LM for the advancement of future ultrathin nanotechnologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Less frequent observations of sprites over winter storms are consistent with theory. • Due to lower charge centers sprite inception in winter is limited. • Wind shear causes an observable horizontal shift in sprite inception. Transient luminous events (TLEs) is the collective name given to mesospheric electrical breakdown phenomena occurring in conjunction with strong lightning discharges in tropospheric thunderstorms. They include elves, sprites, halos, and jets, and are characterized by short lived optical emissions, mostly of red (665 nm) and blue (337 nm) wavelengths. Sprites are caused by the brief quasi-electrostatic field induced in the mesosphere, mostly after the removal of the upper positive charge of the thundercloud by a +CG, and they have been recorded above most of the lightning activity centers on Earth. In wintertime, there are just a few areas where lightning occurs, and of those, sprites have been observed over the Sea of Japan, the British Channel, and the Mediterranean Sea. Unlike their summer counterparts, winter thunderstorms tend to have weaker updrafts and as a result, reduced vertical dimensions and compact charge structures, whose positive and negative centers are located at lower altitudes. These storms are often susceptible to significant wind shear and as a result may exhibit a tilted dipole charge structure and a lateral offset of the upper positive charge relative to the main negative charge. We present results of numerical simulations using a three-dimensional explicit formulation of the mesospheric quasi-electrostatic electrical field following a lightning discharge from a typical mid-latitude winter thunderstorm exhibiting tilt due to wind shear and evaluate the regions of possible sprite inception. Our results show, as numerous observations suggest, that sprites can be shifted a large distance from the location of the parent +CG in the direction of the shear and will occur over a larger region compared with non-sheared storms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate the deterioration degree of insulation material by monitoring partial discharges (PDs), it is necessary to fully understand the PD behavior prior to breakdown. We performed measurements of temporal variations in the number and magnitude of PDs in a void of epoxy resin. It was found that the number of PDs with larger magnitude is less before breakdown and that there is a decreased tendency of the number and magnitude of PDs with the elapsed time. The tendency is remarkable as the applied electric field is small. Additionally, the time to breakdown becomes short when the scattering of the number of PDs per unit time decreases. © 2024 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan and Wiley Periodicals LLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) harvesting ocean wave energy is an effective method to alleviate the energy crisis. However, the breakdown phenomenon is ubiquitous for the TENG with a large area of dielectric layer, which not only limits the output and reliability but also highly risks the device failure. Here, a self‐recovery TENG (SR‐TENG) featuring high breakdown resistance is designed, which achieves a high output charge density of 4.24 mC m−2 with the assistance of the charge excitation technique, as well as maintains 87% of the initial output even after six times fierce electric breakdown, minimizing the negative impacts of the breakdown phenomenon. Besides, based on the SR‐TENG, a symmetric anaconda‐shaped self‐charge excited TENG is designed for effective water wave energy harvesting. This work not only sheds light on the self‐recovery phenomenon in TENGs, but also represents a significant step toward the high performance TENG featuring high breakdown resistance and ultimate stability, accelerating the practical applications of TENG for blue energy harvesting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polypropylene (PP) is believed to be a rather promising cable insulating material for high‐capacity electric power system with low carbon emission due to its decent thermo‐resistance and recyclable nature. In this paper, a new dually chemical grafting modification strategy by methyl acrylate (MA) and acrylic acid (AA) is put forward to tailor the charge transportation behavior in PP, thus further enhancing the electrical properties. Experimental results indicate that the dually grafted PP with 2.3 weight percent (wt%) MA and 1.9 wt% AA shows enhanced volume resistivity and electrical breakdown strength than pure PP, and the space charge injection is significantly suppressed. This work further adopts thermally stimulated depolarization current (TSDC) test and computational analysis based on density functional theory (DFT) to reveal the mechanism of enhancement. The analysis shows that grafted chemical groups can introduce quantities of deep traps and electrostatic potential wells which are strongly correlated with the carbonyl group and would hinder the charge transportation thus improving the electrical insulating performances of PP. This work would provide a new route of PP‐based dually grafting modification for the development of high‐voltage cable insulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dielectric capacitors are commonly used in electronic and electric power systems due to their excellent charging and discharging rates and ultra-high power densities. Especially, with the rapid development of new energy vehicles industry, high-temperature films capacitors are urgently needed, while the conductivity loss of polymer capacitive films at high temperatures sharply increases, which should be significantly suppressed for achieving excellent energy storage performance. This paper presents a composite film with polyetherimide (PEI) as the matrix, and core-shell structured particle ceramic as fillers where high polarization of barium strontium titanate (BaSrTiO 3) as the core and excellent insulation strength of alumina (Al 2 O 3) as the shell, respectively, achieving a synergistic enhancement of breakdown strength and dielectric constant of Al 2 O 3 @BaSrTiO 3 /PEI composite film. More importantly, the Al 2 O 3 layer with moderate dielectric constant can effectively relieves the electric field distortion at the interfacial regions due to the large difference between BaSrTiO 3 fillers and PEI matrix. The composite film demonstrates exceptional thermal and cycling stability, as well as energy storage properties within the studied temperature range, a discharge energy density of 4.67 J/cm3 at 150 °C. The enhanced mechanism of energy storage performance is revealed bycomparatively analyzing of the microstructure and dielectric properties of BaSrTiO 3 /PEI, Al 2 O 3 /PEI, and Al 2 O 3 @BaSrTiO 3 /PEI composite films. This paper presents a modification strategy of inorganic/organic composite films by increasing both of dielectric constant and electric breakdown strength at elevated temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lead-free dielectric capacitors have become a topic of great interest in response to the ever-increasing demand for high-performance and environmentally friend energy devices. As SrTiO 3 (STO) is paraelectrics, the extremely low spontaneous polarization limits the development of its energy storage applications. In this paper, the microstructure and ferroelectric properties of STO are adjusted by grain engineering to expand its application in energy storage. STO, SrTi 1-x Mn x O 3 (STM x , x = 0.01 and 0.04) and Sr 1-y La y TiMn 0.01 O 3 (SL y TM 0.01 , y = 0.01, 0.02, 0.03 and 0.04) thin films are synthesized by the sol-gel method and thoroughly investigated on the effects of A-site (La) and B-site (Mn) co-doping effects on the crystalline phase, morphology, dielectric, ferroelectric and energy storage characteristics of STO thin film. The results indicate that the SL 0.01 TM 0.01 thin film exhibits a breakdown electric field of 3666.2 kV/cm. The SL 0.02 M 0.01 thin film exhibits excellent frequency stability and low dielectric loss (<0.01) with an energy storage density of 29.5 J/cm3 and an efficiency of 83.7 % at 2600 kV/cm. Moreover, the sample shows good frequency stability (400–2800 Hz) and thermal stability (20−140 °C). These findings indicate the potential of (Mn, La) co-doped SrTiO 3 thin film for dielectric capacitor energy storage field applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beta-phase gallium oxide, β-Ga2O3, in transistors and diodes has been reported due to its distinctive electrical characteristics, such as wide bandgap, low leakage current, and high breakdown electric field. However, besides such conventional basic devices, more advanced device applications using β-Ga2O3 are always necessary. Here, we report on the dynamic behavior of Pt/β-Ga2O3-based Schottky diode for power-efficient organic light emitting display (OLED). Two Schottky diodes are back-to-back connected in series to form a half-wave rectifier circuit and finally integrated with an OLED diode pixel. When AC voltage is applied to the circuit at a frequency greater than 60 Hz, blinking of the OLED light is indistinguishable to human eyes. By way of the rectifier circuit, the OLED pixel efficiently saves more than 35% of the power that should be consumed by applying DC voltage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dielectric capacitors are widely used in aerospace, power systems, and other fields. Working environments with ever‐increasing temperatures pose a new challenge to energy storage performance. Polyetherimide (PEI) has gained extensive research for its good high‐temperature properties. In order to further improve its energy storage performance at high temperatures, many researchers have worked on PEI all‐organic composites doping with molecular semiconductors. Previous studies generally only considered the effect of introduced deep traps on macroscopic properties such as electrical conductivity, electrical breakdown, and energy storage performance. It has been shown that only qualitative analyses can be performed from the perspective of charge trapping, and it is difficult to obtain quantitative results. Therefore, this work proposes to study the macroscopic properties of polymer dielectrics by combining charge trapping with molecular displacement. A comprehensive conduction‐breakdown‐energy storage model was established to explain the influence mechanism of molecular semiconductors on the improved energy storage performance of PEI composites at high temperatures. The molecular semiconductor fillers increase the coefficient of friction between molecular chains, which restricts the movement of molecular chains and also limits charge hopping. Therefore, the dielectrics have higher breakdown strengths and smaller conduction losses, which synergistically enhance the energy storage performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

V‐shaped composite insulator strings exhibit excellent resistance to pollution and wind deviation, resulting in their widespread use in transmission lines. The correlation between inclination angle of the shed surface and pollution flashover voltage can reflect the pollution flashover characteristics of V‐shaped composite insulator strings. Therefore, the relationship between inclination angle and pollution flashover voltage was studied through artificial pollution testing methods, and the relationship between inclination angle and degree of wetting was studied using the method of adding water to increase weight. The results of this study indicated that as the inclination angle increased within the range of 0°–180°, the degree of wetting on the surface of contaminated silicone rubber gradually decreased, whereas the pollution flashover voltage continuously increased. A model of water droplet collision and wetting on the surface of contaminated silicone rubber at different inclination angles was established. This model revealed that the gravity‐induced difference in the wetting states of the surface of contaminated silicone rubber under different inclination angles was responsible for the variation in pollution flashover voltages, with the maximum variation being 116.52%. The results of this study can inform the design and operation of V‐shaped composite insulators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High‐voltage electric pulse rock breaking has excellent potential for exploiting deep geothermal resources. Numerous researchers have conducted experimental studies on this topic, particularly in rock mechanics, where the breakdown occurs. However, there has been limited scholarly research on drilling fluid. Therefore, the study focuses on the drilling fluid suitable for electric pulse drilling, considering the characteristics of electric pulse rock breaking, which differ from traditional rock breaking. The study focused on the impact of various drilling fluid parameters on the effectiveness of electric impulse rock breaking using red sandstone as the experimental material. This was investigated using the finite element method, and indoor electric rock‐breaking tests were conducted in a drilling fluid environment. The results indicate that the plasma channel mainly grows in the permeable layer of the drilling fluid, resulting in shallow rock breaking depth in the drilling fluid environment. The pore permeated by drilling fluid guides the growth of the plasma channel. The higher the conductivity of the drilling fluid, the closer the ion channel of rock breaking by electric pulse is to the rock surface. This results in a smaller crushing volume and shallower damage depth, which is more detrimental to rock breaking by an electric pulse. The viscosity of drilling fluid can impede the breakdown to some extent. In this paper, the influence of drilling fluid parameters on electro‐pulse rock‐breaking technology is preliminarily studied, which has significant reference value for the selection of actual drilling fluid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-voltage electric pulse rock-breaking technology has the potential to improve drilling speed significantly. Numerous mechanism studies and laboratory experiments have laid the foundation for developing high-voltage electric pulse rock-breaking technology. However, the mechanism of medium ion channels growing in three dimensions has yet to be fully understood. Based on this, the paper constructs a prediction model of the electrical breakdown trajectory in three dimensions using the finite difference method. The model considers the dielectric properties of the mineral particles inside the rock. The paper then simulates and analyzes the generation of plasma channels caused by the electrical breakdown of rock in space. This is done using the MATLAB numerical simulation software, in combination with the analysis of the electric rock-breaking circuits and the Probabilistic Development Model (PDM). The laboratory experiment on electric rock breaking verifies the prediction model for the trajectory of electrical breakdown. The research results show that the plasma channel generated by electric breakdown in rocks is a spatial curve that expands between the high-voltage electrode and the ground electrode. The breakdown points generated near the high-voltage electrode are more concentrated than those near the ground electrode, forming the primary fragmentation zone. The area near the ground electrode is the secondary fragmentation zone. The voltage difference between the high-voltage level and the grounding electrode significantly influences the crushing effect. A higher voltage leads to a more pronounced crushing effect at the high-voltage electrode. The research results have definite guiding significance for the engineering application of high-voltage pulse rock-breaking technology and the design of downhole drilling tools. Highlights: In this paper, a three-dimensional trajectory prediction model of electrical breakdown is established to study the electrical breakage of rock. The electric breakdown three-dimensional trajectory prediction model is utilized to simulate electrical breakdown in rock under various voltage amplitudes. The reliability of the three-dimensional trajectory prediction model is indirectly verified by the laboratory experiment with an electric pulse rock breaking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: In this article, we investigated a new structure of a protective meander line (ML): a meander microstrip line (MSL) with two passive conductors. The existing theory of ultra‐short pulse (USP) attenuation in MLs is presented for the first time. Based on this theory, we determined the number of decomposed pulses at the output of the MSL line with two passive conductors, and, for the first time, formulated the conditions for pulse decomposition in the line. The folding of the MSL line into non‐core turns was studied in detail. As a result of this article, we proposed a new theory that involves the utilization of additional groups of decomposed pulses for enhanced USP attenuation. These additional groups were thoroughly examined, and the delays of pulses from these groups were defined. This analysis allowed identifying the reason for their appearance. It was revealed that folding the ML into non‐core turns allows further attenuation of the USP amplitude, which increases with the increase of the number of non‐core turns. To validate the obtained simulation results, we performed experimental measurements and obtained good consistency of the results. The N‐norms analysis demonstrated that the combined use of such folding and passive conductors reduces the probability of electrical breakdown, arc discharge, and dielectric breakdown. The maximum USP attenuation at the output was 24.9 dB. As a result of useful signal integrity analysis, it is proposed to use a folded MSL together with a USB 2.0 "Full‐speed" interface with a data transfer rate of 12 Mbit/s. In addition, it is proposed to use such MSLs in DC power circuits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. Spark-erosion processing of metals and alloys granules in working liquids is the basis of a several technological processes. Efficiency of energy use in them and parameters of the resulting product largely depend on the accuracy of stabilization and regulation of pulse power in each plasma channel between the granules. To achieve this, until now only the voltage and current of the discharge pulses in the entire layer of granules have been controlled. Problem. The measurement methods, which are used, are not effective enough for monitoring the parameters of individual plasma channels and predicting the size distribution of eroded metals particles at the stage of their formation. The aim of the work is to develop a method for determining the volumes of components of plasma channels in layers of metals granules during their spark-erosion treatment to predict the size distribution of eroded metal particles at the stage of their formation, as well as to simplify the method of spectrometric analysis of the elemental composition of substances surrounding plasma channels for the operational prediction of the chemical composition of resulting products. Methodology. A series of experiments were carried out on spark-erosion processing of Al and Ag granules layers in distilled water. Using a digital camera, images of the plasma channels in them were obtained. Based on the theory of pulsed electrical breakdown of liquid dielectrics, an analysis of the components of plasma channels was carried out. Using the specialized ToupView program, the volumes of equivalent ellipsoids of rotation were determined, approximating the halos of colored radiation likely arising from streamers, as well as the spark cores of plasma channels emitting white light. The shades of the resulting radiation were studied for several metals and working liquids. The obtained data were compared with the known results of spectrometric studies for the same elements excited by similar mechanisms. Results. The theory of discharge-pulse systems for sparkerosion processing of granular conductive media has been developed in the direction of new methods for monitoring the parameters of discharge pulses and predicting the chemical composition and size distribution parameters of eroded metal particles at the stage of their production. An optic-metric method has been developed for determining the volumes of halos and cores of plasma channels. A simplified spectral method for determining the chemical composition of erosion particles based on the shade of the resulting radiation was proposed. Originality. The developed new optic-metric method makes it possible to obtain information about almost every plasma channel, which refines predictions of the size distribution of erosion particles. To implement the method, generalpurpose hardware and specialized software that is freely available are used. The developed method of simplified spectral analysis of excited atoms makes it possible to make preliminary predictions of the chemical composition of the obtained erosion particles already at the stage of their formation without the use of expensive specialized equipment. Practical significance. The ratio of the volumes of halos and cores of plasma channels between Al and Ag granules in distilled water was measured. An analysis of the emission spectra of plasma channel halos between Al, Ag and Cu granules in distilled water, Fe in ethyl alcohol, Ni-Mn-Ga and Ti- Zr-Ni alloys in liquid nitrogen, and Ti-Zr-Ni in liquid argon was carried out. Based on spectrometry data, the resulting shades of these radiations were substantiated and their description in the RGB system is given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Significant efforts are devoted to optimizing the efficiency of triboelectric energy harvesting systems, particularly through the design of an advanced power management system (PMS) for Triboelectric Nanoenerators (TENGs). A critical aspect of PMS is the design and control of switches. However, existing switches face significant limitations. For spark switches, precise control cannot be achieved, and electronic switches can only operate at voltages below several hundred volts which is limited by the risk of electrical breakdown. To address these limitations, a hybrid electronic‐spark switch power management system (HESS) is proposed. HESS changes the connection of capacitors from parallel to series by deploying a maximum voltage tracking switch components at the peak voltage point, resulting in a much‐elevated voltage level to activate the spark switch. This approach achieves precise control of the spark switch for the first time and significantly reduces the operating voltage of electronic switches. Through simulation and experimental verification, HESS achieves the control at a voltage level of 1.8 kV for spark switch, with an electrical component breakdown voltage of only 450 V. The power density of the HESS is 29.8 mW Hz−1 m−2, which is a new record for electronic switches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to obtain high dielectric properties nitrile rubber (NBR) dielectric elastomer composites, in this work, polypyrrole (PPy) was encapsulated on the surface of SrTiO3 (STO) ceramic particles, and an insulating layer of poly (catechol/polyamine) (PCPA) was also covered on the outer surface of the STO‐PPy core‐shell particles (denoted as STO‐PPy‐PCPA particles), then the dielectric elastomer composites were prepared by adding STO and STO‐PPy‐PCPA to NBR, respectively. Due to the electrical conductivity of PPy, the dielectric constant of the STO‐PPy‐PCPA particles increases substantially. At the same time, the insulating layer of PCPA further prevents current leakage from the composite, which not only avoids premature electrical breakdown but also effectively reduces the dielectric loss. Compared with pure NBR, the dielectric constant of the prepared dielectric elastomer composites increased from 13 to 17.19 (20 phr STO‐PPy‐PCPA/NBR), and the actuated strain increased from 3.28 % to 13.86 % (5 phr STO‐PPy‐PCPA/NBR), which is 4.2 times that of pure NBR. This work successfully solves the current problems of requiring a large amount of ceramics to improve the dielectric constant and the tendency of conductive particles to agglomerate and premature breakdown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advances in 5G and 6G communication technologies and their applications are in part limited by the capabilities of current electronic packaging materials, as expanded bandwidth is a pressing need for novel dielectric substrates capable of co-firing into packages and devices, characterized by low dielectric loss and enhanced thermal conductivity. This investigation provides further characterization in the dielectric, electrical and thermal conductivity properties over previously reported cold sintered composite of Sodium Molybdate Na 2 Mo 2 O 7 (NMO) with hexagonal Boron Nitride (hBN), such as relative permittivity (ε r) and dielectric loss (tan δ) values at high frequencies of 75–110 GHz, electrical resistivity (ρ) fitting to percolation theory, Weibull statistical analysis of electrical breakdown strength (E b) and its anisotropic thermal conductivity (κ) influenced by the filler's crystal structure. The cold sintered composites were systematically characterized with respect to filler volume fraction, temperature, and frequency. The findings in this analysis position engineered composites as a promising alternative for microwave substrate materials, with using a densification method that limits interactions and maximizes densification, hence the demonstration with cold sintering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dielectric ceramics possess a unique competitive advantage in electronic systems due to their high-power density and excellent reliability. Na1/2Bi1/2TiO3-based ceramics, one type of extensively studied energy storage dielectric, however, often experience A-site element volatilization and Ti4+ reduction during high-temperature sintering. These issues may result in increased energy loss, reduced polarization and low dielectric breakdown electric field, ultimately making it challenging to achieve both high energy storage density and efficiency. To address these issues, we introduce a synergistic optimization strategy that combine polarization engineering and grain alignment engineering. First principles calculations and experimental analyses show that the doping of Mn2+ can suppress the reduction of Ti4+ in Na1/2Bi1/2TiO3-based ceramics and enhance ion off-centering displacements, thereby reducing energy loss and improving polarization. In addition, we prepared multilayer ceramic capacitors with grains oriented along the <111> direction using the template grain growth method. This approach effectively reduces electric-field-induced strain by 37% and markedly enhances breakdown electric field by 42% when compared with nontextured counterpart. As a result of this comprehensive strategy, <111 >-textured Na1/2Bi1/2TiO3-based multilayer ceramic capacitors achieve an ultra-high energy density of 15.7 J·cm−3 and an excellent efficiency beyond 95% at 850 kV·cm−1, exhibiting a superior overall energy storage performance. Grain alignment and polarization engineering were simultaneously utilized to enhance the energy storage performance of Na1/2Bi1/2TiO3-based multilayer ceramic capacitors, leading to an energy density of 15.7 J·cm−3 and energy efficiency over 95%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Establishing a harmonious equilibrium between high energy storage, minimal energy loss, and exceptional processability presents a formidable challenge within the realm of dielectric polymers. To address this challenge, harnessing the characteristics of long‐chain side groups to enhance polarity and toughness, as well as the fluorine effect to improve insulation and efficiency, a random copolymer, poly(4‐fluorostyrene‐trifluoroethyl methacrylate) (P(FS‐3FEMA)), is successfully synthesized via copolymerization of fluorine‐containing monomers, namely 4‐fluorostyrene (FSt) and trifluoroethyl methacrylate (3FEMA). Experimental findings demonstrate that elongating side chains enhances polymer toughness, boosts polarization strength, and self‐healing capacity. Introducing fluorine atoms into side chains maintains toughness while marginally increasing polymer chain spacing, reducing relaxation loss induced by dipole reorientation under an applied electric field. Additionally, fluorine incorporation enhances electron capture, effectively reducing leakage loss and the likelihood of thermal and electrical breakdown. Ultimately, the copolymer exhibits exceptional performance, characterized by extraordinarily high energy storage (Ue = 18.3 J cm−3), minimal energy loss (efficiency exceeding 89%), and enhanced toughness (increased by over 112%). This study presents a novel approach that harnesses the fluorine effect to reconcile the conflicting requirements of high energy storage, minimal energy loss, and exceptional processability in polymer dielectrics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Features of the generation of a highly ionized plasma from a tip cathode after the electrical breakdown of a millimeter air discharge gap at atmospheric pressure have been studied using picosecond laser probing at a wavelength of 532 nm. It has been found that the transformation of a micron-sized cathode spot to a growing spark channel is accompanied by the formation of a spherical plasma region in the base of the spark channel in the near-cathode region. The electron density in this region, which is about 100 μm in diameter, decreases to 3 × 1019 cm–3 in the center and increases to (5–6) × 1019 cm–3 in its shell with a thickness of about 20 μm. It has been shown that the growth of the subsequent spark channel is governed by a strong ionization front formed at the boundary of the expanding spherical plasma region in 1 ns after the gap breakdown. It has been assumed that the formation of the spherical plasma region in the near-cathode region affects the subsequent development of the microstructure of the electric spark. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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During the construction of cable joints, three common defects may occur on the XLPE surface: scratches, moisture exposure, and adhered contaminated particles. To evaluate the impact of these defects on joint performance, this paper establishes a sheet model of XLPE insulation in cable joints to analyze the changes in the electric field under different defects and explore the influence of different defects on the electric field and breakdown voltage. Results of the study reveal that the electric field at the scratch site on XLPE produces severe distortion, being 1.6 times that of non-scratch areas. When exposed to moisture, the more conductive impurities present in the adhered contaminated water on the XLPE surface, the higher the conductivity of the contaminated water, thereby increasing its conductive performance and the electric field strength, which is 1.22-1.4 times that of the non-moist interface. When particles adhere to the XLPE surface, severe distortion occurs at the particle-interface electric field, approximately 1.5 times that of the defect-free interface. Scratches have the most significant impact on the electric field of XLPE insulation. Experimental results also demonstrate that the breakdown voltage without defects is 129.6 kV, while the breakdown voltage with scratch defects is 59.1 kV, moisture defects is 69.7 kV, and particle contamination defects is 59.2 kV, with scratches having the most significant impact on the breakdown voltage of XLPE insulation. These findings provide important insights into the influence of different defects on the insulation performance of cable joints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The molecular structure of dielectric elastomers dictates their mechanical, electrical, and properties to react under external stimuli, influencing their suitability for applications such as actuators, sensors, and energy harvesting devices. The molecular structure of polymers can be tailored by incorporating plasticizers and particulate fillers to achieve multifunctional properties. However, achieving a balance between flexibility and maintaining mechanical strength due to incorporation of fillers induced phase separation and compromised intermolecular interactions remains challenging. In the present work, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) composites are synthesized using plasticizer and particulate fillers, polyethylene glycol (H‐(OCH2CH2)nOH) and titanium diboride (TiB2) respectively in various concentrations using shear mixing and doctor blade casting technique. Molecular structure of synthesized PDMS composite is confirmed by observing peaks of Raman spectra sift, which exhibits robust CO bonds dominating for both fillers. Chain entanglement due to filler incorporation significantly affects the crosslink density of PDMS composite, it increases with the concentration of plasticizer and possesses inverse relation for particulate. Furthermore, interdependence of the filler types and concentration are found on the mechanical as well as electrical properties. The specific deformation energy exhibits a significant increase of 118.9% when comparing particulate to the plasticizer at concentration of 8 wt.%. Although plasticizer increases the actuation strain and energy conversion efficiency but decreases the electrical breakdown voltage in comparison to particulate. By systematically varying fillers concentration, subtle changes in multifunctional properties are achieved. Overall, this investigation provides a framework for tailoring dielectric elastomer composites with desired electromechanical characteristics through the amalgamation of filler types and crosslinking densities, all intricately tied to the molecular architecture for electromechanical sensors. Highlights: Filler incorporation changes DE molecular structure and materials properties.Formation of additional bonds and micro‐capacitors in DE enhances capacitance.Actuation strain in DE depends on filler type and concentration.Energy conversion efficiency varies with the concentration of filler. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract V‐shaped composite insulator strings exhibit excellent resistance to pollution and wind deviation, resulting in their widespread use in transmission lines. The correlation between inclination angle of the shed surface and pollution flashover voltage can reflect the pollution flashover characteristics of V‐shaped composite insulator strings. Therefore, the relationship between inclination angle and pollution flashover voltage was studied through artificial pollution testing methods, and the relationship between inclination angle and degree of wetting was studied using the method of adding water to increase weight. The results of this study indicated that as the inclination angle increased within the range of 0°–180°, the degree of wetting on the surface of contaminated silicone rubber gradually decreased, whereas the pollution flashover voltage continuously increased. A model of water droplet collision and wetting on the surface of contaminated silicone rubber at different inclination angles was established. This model revealed that the gravity‐induced difference in the wetting states of the surface of contaminated silicone rubber under different inclination angles was responsible for the variation in pollution flashover voltages, with the maximum variation being 116.52%. The results of this study can inform the design and operation of V‐shaped composite insulators.

A dimensional method was employed to evaluate the microscale gas breakdown characteristics at atmospheric pressure, resulting in a universal breakdown curve applicable to different types of gases (e.g., Ar, Xe, Ne, and N 2). As the gap distance decreases, the breakdown mode transitions from ion-induced secondary electron emission to the field emission regime. In the field emission regime, the positive space charge effect becomes more significant. We discovered that incorporating the positive space charge effect in the field emission regime can be achieved by modifying the local electric field enhancement factor β. Consequently, we propose an effective electric field enhancement factor, β eff , which scales linearly with β , to accurately reproduce the breakdown curve while considering the positive space charge effect. This proposed approach significantly simplifies the numerical model. Additionally, we examined the effects of gas pressure, gap distance, cathode properties (e.g., work function and secondary electron emission coefficient), and electric field nonuniformity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electro-optical modulation of a terahertz beam by drifting space-charge domains in n-GaN epilayers under pulsed electric field excitation was found and investigated at a temperature of 77 K. The free charge carrier contribution was observed as the attenuation of terahertz (THz) transmission whose value independently on THz beam polarization increased with the electric field, in the presence of drifting space-charge domains, up to 10%. The electro-optical contribution, on the other hand, was sensitive to beam polarization and demonstrated a nonlinear increase in THz transmission up to 50% under the external electric field up to 1.6 kV/cm, while higher field values led to an electrical breakdown of samples operating in the presence of drifting space-charge domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Greenhouse gas CO2 has rarely been used as an insulating gas in cellulose/oil insulated energy devices since the benefits of it on dielectric properties of cellulose/oil have yet to be known. This work reveals that CO2 can be adsorbed by unaged and aged cellulose, improving the breakdown strength of cellulose/oil composite. The traps introduced by CO2 adsorption are proved to be the key factor. The adsorption of CO2 makes shallow traps shallower, while making deep traps deeper. These changes in traps hinder the charge accumulation on dielectric surfaces and enhance the electron capture ability in the dielectric bulk. Moreover, the charge mobility and electrical conductivity of cellulose/oil composite increase after adsorbing CO2, while the surface potential is reduced. Therefore, the collisional ionization is hindered and further electrical breakdown is improved. In the meantime, the energy level distribution models of cellulose–air and cellulose–CO2 composites were comparably studied. This work is conducive to understanding the changes in electrical properties after CO2 adsorption and the prospects of CO2 in cellulose/oil insulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Silicone rubber (SiR) is commonly used in reinforced insulation parts for high‐voltage direct current (HVDC) cable accessories due to its excellent insulation, elasticity, and high‐temperature resistance. HVDC cable accessories always suffer from the local electric field concentration due to the electrical conductivity mismatch between reinforced insulation and main insulation, which can ultimately lead to electric breakdown. The non‐linear conductive composites based on SiR have the ability to adaptively adjust the distribution of the electric field in cable accessories. This is expected to solve the problem of localised electric field concentration. The zinc oxide (ZnO) and glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) are used as fillers and grafted modifier respectively to improve the non‐linear electrical conductivity of ZnO/SiR‐GMA composites. The results indicate that grafting GMA can increase electrical conductivity of SiR, while doping ZnO filler enables SiR to have non‐linear conductivity characteristics. The combination of doping and grafting modification of the composites achieves excellent non‐linear conductive properties at lower ZnO filler content. Additionally, the mechanical properties of the modified composites are enhanced. The simulation results indicate that ZnO/SiR‐GMA is the most effective material for homogenising the electric field when used as reinforced insulation for cable intermediate joints.

Abstract High conductivity loss and low breakdown strength of traditional polypropylene (PP) film in the high‐temperature environment are the key factors limiting the application of metallised film capacitors (MFCs). The effect of cyclic olefin copolymers (COCs) with different glass transition temperatures (Tgs) on the dielectric performance of PP/COC composites at high temperature are studied. The results showed that the addition of COC enhanced the intermolecular interaction force, which led to the reduction of defects in the films. In addition, COC with high Tg inhibits the movement of molecular chains and enhances the thermal stability of the film, which limits the transport of carriers at high temperatures. The conductivity and breakdown strength of the modified films (with a Tg of 134°C for COC) at 125°C are 91.6% lower and 45.7% higher, respectively, than that of pure PP. This method shows great potential in improving the dielectric properties of PP at high temperatures.

Multilayer thin films have been demonstrated to enhance the energy storage performance of dielectric capacitors, due to the synergistic effects of different functional layers in heterostructures. In this Letter, a multilayer structure is proposed based on the Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3 (PZT) homostructure. It has been experimentally demonstrated that the alternative PZT layer exhibits different crystallinity induced by Ce dopant incorporation. Thus, the polarization and breakdown strength are well balanced, giving rise to a high recoverable energy density of 74 J/cm3 with a high breakdown electric field of 6.49 MV/cm and a relatively large polarization of 28 μC/cm2. The homostructures provide a simple method to construct dielectric multilayer films to promote energy density only via one-step annealing treatment and one type of dielectric material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrical insulation is a critical component in electrical machines. The performance of the insulation system can be adversely affected by operating conditions that induce aging. Assessing the impact of environmental stresses is essential for predicting the failure of electrical insulation. Predicting maintenance to prevent service interruptions caused by insulation breakdown is a key objective. For type I insulating systems used in low-voltage and low-power rotating electrical machines, it has been demonstrated that partial discharges (PDs) are a contributing factor to electrical insulation breakdown. In fact, these insulating systems are not able to withstand the action of PD activity. The inception and evolution of PD activity is an indication of the poor conditions of the electrical insulating system, and this activity can be produced by the electronic power supply. The progressive reduction in partial discharge inception voltage (PDIV) is attributed to the deterioration of insulation properties induced by operational stresses. This study aims to evaluate and compare the effects of thermal stress on various types of enameled wires by collecting the PDIV values over time. In this paper, the authors analyze some particular effects of thermal stress as an aging factor. During the tests, an electrical stress was applied, which acted as a conditioning stress rather than one capable of producing degradation phenomena, as it was not high enough to initiate PD activity. In this research study, twisted pairs prepared from copper wires were evaluated. These wires were coated with various types of enamel and belonged to the thermal class of 200 °C. The samples were subjected to thermal aging tests at different temperatures. An electrical conditioning stress was also applied during all the tests and pertained to the same voltage, amplitude and frequency. The PDIV value pertaining to each sample was regularly measured to monitor its evolution over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

\nHIGHLIGHTSPolymer nanocomposites are increasingly used in insulation applications for enhanced electrical properties. However, there are intricate parameters that control the properties of the polymer, and hence investigations are required. This paper attempts to correlate the electrical properties of Epoxy/Organically modified montmorillonite clay composites with the free volume resulting from the incorporation of the Organically modified montmorillonite clay filler of 2, 5, and 7 weight per cent (wt.%). Positron annihilation spectroscopy has been used to compute the fractional free volume and free volume. The free volume percentage is observed to increase with the incorporation of 2 and 5 wt.% and reduces at 7 wt.%. A similar trend is observed in the average size of free volume. The filler increases the AC electric breakdown strength by 20%, arc resistance by 5%, and comparative tracking index by 10% at 5 wt.%. Thermal conductivity is seen to increase marginally with the filler. The surfaces of the composites are hydrophilic at 2 and 7 wt.%, and at 5 wt.%, it is hydrophobic. Longer durations of water diffusion render the surfaces of the nanocomposites hydrophobic. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy investigations reveal broadening of peak, increase in peak intensity and stretching of Si–O–Si bonds at 5 wt.% of filler due to exfoliation. An attempt has been made to understand the results of electrical parameters based on the results of positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy and thermal conductivity. Water diffusion is minimal at 5 wt.% of OMMT.Highest CTI of 588 is achieved at 5 wt.%.Arc resistance of 400 s is achieved at 5 wt.%. OMMT.Proof tracking is higher at 5 wt.% of OMMT.Surface is hydrophobic at 5 wt.% OMMT.Water diffusion is minimal at 5 wt.% of OMMT.Highest CTI of 588 is achieved at 5 wt.%.Arc resistance of 400 s is achieved at 5 wt.%. OMMT.Proof tracking is higher at 5 wt.% of OMMT.Surface is hydrophobic at 5 wt.% OMMT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of lead-free dielectric capacitors with good energy storage performance and high reliability is of great practical significance for pulsed power systems. In this study, Nb 2 O 5 -modified 0.6(Bi 0.5 Na 0.5)TiO 3 -0.4(Sr 0.7 Bi 0.2)TiO 3 (BNT-SBT- x Nb, 0 ≤ x ≤ 0.07) ceramics were designed to enhance their energy storage performance and prepared using a hydrothermal method. The results show that Nb doping into the B site of BNT-SBT can induce lattice expansion and promote polar nanoregions, resulting in improved dielectric relaxation behavior. Moreover, the introduction of Nb can lead to the refinement of grain size, the increase in resistivity, the reduction of oxygen vacancies, and the broadening of band gap, thereby significantly enhancing the electrical breakdown strength (E b). Accordingly, the BNT-SBT-0.05Nb system presents excellent energy storage performance with high W rec ∼6.26 J/cm3 and η ∼87.9 % under an large E b of 518 kV/cm in accompany with the wide temperature stability (W rec and η vary within ±6.8 % and ±3.2 % at 40–100 °C). The significant improvement of E b and energy storage performance demonstrates that the BNT-SBT-0.05Nb system is a potential candidate for applications in high-energy storage capacitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research, the finite-element numerical software COMSOL Multiphysics is used to simulate the electric pulse rock-breaking process, and the novel numerical model takes into account the multiple fields of electrical, thermal, and mechanical physics. The electric field strength inside the rock under the action of the electric pulse is updated by the full coupling function of COMSOL (version 6.1) software, and the electric damage variable χ is used to describe the process of electric breakdown inside the rock, to simulate the formation of plasma channel in the process of electric pulse rock-breaking. The voltage change curves and plasma channel trajectories in the electric breakdown process of the model in this paper are compared with the literature to verify the accuracy of the model. The formation process of plasma channels captures the temperature and stress changes during the whole process of electric pulse rock-breaking, to reveal the mechanism of the electric pulse rock-breaking process. With the presence of conductive particles inside the rock, the particles can effectively promote the formation of plasma channels, increase the area of electrical damage, and improve rock-breaking efficiency. Before the formation of the plasma channel, the internal temperature of the rock is about 600 K, and the stress is about 10−2 MPa; when the channel is formed, the energy of the electric pulse is mainly concentrated in the plasma channel, and the temperature of the plasma channel rises to 104 K. When the maximum stress exceeds the critical stress of the rock, the rock undergoes fracture. Furthermore, an appropriate increase in the rise time of the electric pulse increases the speed and area of rock-breaking, subsequently improving the efficiency of rock fracture. The results of the numerical modeling in this paper help to better understand the mechanism of the electric pulse rock-breaking process, which is of great engineering significance for the development of new electric pulse rock-breaking technology in the realm of geotechnical engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electric breakdown strength of polymer composites (PC) polyethylene — low-density polypropylene (PP-LDPE) with various supramolecular structures (SMS) was studied at the stable electric field in the temperature range of 293–370 K, under various conditions. It was shown that the breakdown strength (Ebs) of PC increases with increasing voltage rise rate, and decreases with increasing temperature. The existence of dependences between electrical durability (τ(E)) and intensity of constant electric field (Ebs(vE)) indicates that the electrical destruction of PC is a kinetic process, the rate of which is determined by the electric field strength and temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The one-dimensional quantum breakdown model, which features spatially asymmetric fermionic interactions simulating the electrical breakdown phenomenon, exhibits an exponential U(1) symmetry and a variety of dynamical phases including many-body localization and quantum chaos with quantum scar states. We investigate the minimal quantum breakdown model with the minimal number of on-site fermion orbitals required for the interaction and identify a large number of local conserved charges in the model. We then reveal a mapping between the minimal quantum breakdown model in certain charge sectors and a quantum link model which simulates the U(1) lattice gauge theory and show that the local conserved charges map to the gauge symmetry generators. A special charge sector of the model further maps to the PXP model, which shows quantum many-body scars. This mapping unveils the rich dynamics in different Krylov subspaces characterized by different gauge configurations in the quantum breakdown model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the field of dielectric energy storage, achieving the combination of high recoverable energy density (Wrec) and high storage efficiency (η) remains a major challenge. Here, a high‐entropy design in tungsten bronze ceramics is proposed with disordered polarization functional cells, which disrupts the long‐range ferroelectric order into diverse polar nanoregions (PNRs) characterized by composition fluctuation and cation displacement. These PNRs lower the domain‐switching barriers and weaken domain intercoupling, thereby playing a key role in delaying polarization saturation, reducing energy loss, and enhancing the breakdown electric field (Eb). Benefiting from the synergistic effects, at a large Eb of 760 kV cm−1, breakthrough energy storage performance is realized in tungsten bronze ceramics, including a record‐high Wrec of ≈10.6 J cm−3, an ultrahigh η of ≈96.2%, and a record‐high figure of merit of ≈279. These developments, along with superior mechanical properties, stability, and charge–discharge performance, fully demonstrate the feasibility of this strategy for realizing structural‐functional integration in tungsten bronze ceramics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]