On the nature of hysteresis phenomena at low-voltage polarization of crystalline ferroelectric polymers.

Hysteresis phenomena were observed under electric fields two orders of magnitude lower than the coercive ones in ferroelectric copolymer vinylidene fluoride–tetrafluoroethylene. From the field dependences of the electrical displacement hysteresis, the volumetric energy density of electric loss was calculated. Its value increases with increasing amplitude of the sawtooth external field and is higher in case of lower external field frequency. Complex dielectric permittivity measurements indicate that the noted high-voltage hysteresis phenomena at polarization should be related to the process of space charge formation, which is due to the presence of heterogeneity in the copolymer under study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]