Finite-size scaling of flexoelectricity in Langmuir-Blodgett polymer thin films

The flexoelectric effect, which is a linear coupling between a strain gradient and electrical polarization, is a fundamental electromechanical property of all materials with potential for use in nanoscale devices, where strain gradients can be quite large. We report a study of the dependence of the flexoelectric response on thickness in ultrathin films of polar and non-polar polymers. The measurements of the flexoelectric response in non-polar polyethylene and the polar relaxor polymer polyvinylidene-co-trifluoroethylene-co-chlorofluoroethylene were made using a bent cantilever method and corrected for the contribution from the electrode oxide. The results show that the value of the flexoelectric coefficient increases with decreasing thickness, by up to a factor of 70 compared to the bulk value, reaching such enhanced values in films of only 10 nm thickness. These results are consistent with a model accounting for interfacial contributions, and underline how large electromechanical coupling can be produce...