Spontelectrics

When laid down as thin films tens to hundreds of molecular layers thick, a range of materials spontaneously generate large electric fields. These fields can be greater than 10⁸ V/m.

These films have rather special properties.They represent a new form of the solid state called spontelectric. Spontelectric behaviour is intrinsic to the dipolar nature of the constituent molecules.

The detection (in ~2009) of spontaneous electric fields in numerous solid films prepared by vapour deposition raises fundamental questions about the nature of disordered materials.

David Field played a major role in the discovery of spontelectrics.