ferroelectric capacitors tagged posts

In a new Nature Communications study, researchers have developed an in-memory ferroelectric differentiator capable of performing calculations directly in the memory without requiring a separate processor.

The proposed differentiator promises energy efficiency, especially for edge devices like smartphones, autonomous vehicles, and security cameras.

Traditional approaches to tasks like image processing and motion detection involve multi-step energy-intensive processes. This begins with recording data, which is transmitted to a memory unit, which further transmits the data to a microcontroller unit to perform differential operations.

Since differential opera...

The newly synthesized crystal is ferroelectric above room temperature (a-b, e-f) and turns into “plastic phase”, meaning highly deformable, at higher temperature (a to c). The electric polarity of each molecule can be aligned in one direction by applying electric field as it cools (c to e). Credit: Harada J. et al., July 11, 2016, Nature Chemistry, DOI: 10.1038/NCHEM.2567; image is copyrighted

A novel ferroelectric plastic crystal could accelerate the development of more flexible, cost-efficient and less toxic ferroelectrics than those currently in use. Applying an electric field to some materials causes their atoms to “switch” their electric polarization from one direction to another, making one side of the material positive and the other negative...