Incipient ferroelectricity of water molecules confined to nano-channels of beryl

B. P. Gorshunov, V. I. Torgashev, E. S. Zhukova, V. G. Thomas, M. A. Belyanchikov, C. Kadlec, F. Kadlec, M. Savinov, T. Ostapchuk, J. Petzelt, J. Prokleška, P. V. Tomas, E. V. Pestrjakov, D. A. Fursenko, G. S. Shakurov, A. S. Prokhorov, V. S. Gorelik, L. S. Kadyrov, V. V. Uskov, R. K. Kremer and M. Dressel ()
Additional contact information
B. P. Gorshunov: Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology
V. I. Torgashev: Faculty of Physics, Southern Federal University
E. S. Zhukova: Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology
V. G. Thomas: Institute of Geology and Mineralogy, Russian Academy of Sciences
M. A. Belyanchikov: Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology
C. Kadlec: Institute of Physics AS CR
F. Kadlec: Institute of Physics AS CR
M. Savinov: Institute of Physics AS CR
T. Ostapchuk: Institute of Physics AS CR
J. Petzelt: Institute of Physics AS CR
J. Prokleška: Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University
P. V. Tomas: Mathematical Department of The National Research University Higher School of Economics
E. V. Pestrjakov: Institute of Laser Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences
D. A. Fursenko: Institute of Geology and Mineralogy, Russian Academy of Sciences
G. S. Shakurov: Kazan Physical-Technical Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences
A. S. Prokhorov: Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology
V. S. Gorelik: P.N. Lebedev Physical Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences
L. S. Kadyrov: Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology
V. V. Uskov: Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology
R. K. Kremer: Max-Planck-Institut für Festkörperforschung
M. Dressel: 1. Physikalisches Institut, Universität Stuttgart

Nature Communications, 2016, vol. 7, issue 1, 1-10

Abstract: Abstract Water is characterized by large molecular electric dipole moments and strong interactions between molecules; however, hydrogen bonds screen the dipole–dipole coupling and suppress the ferroelectric order. The situation changes drastically when water is confined: in this case ordering of the molecular dipoles has been predicted, but never unambiguously detected experimentally. In the present study we place separate H2O molecules in the structural channels of a beryl single crystal so that they are located far enough to prevent hydrogen bonding, but close enough to keep the dipole–dipole interaction, resulting in incipient ferroelectricity in the water molecular subsystem. We observe a ferroelectric soft mode that causes Curie–Weiss behaviour of the static permittivity, which saturates below 10 K due to quantum fluctuations. The ferroelectricity of water molecules may play a key role in the functioning of biological systems and find applications in fuel and memory cells, light emitters and other nanoscale electronic devices.

Date: 2016
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms12842

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