Estimation of the electric field near the surface of ferroelectrics

Abstract

The electric field near the surface of a ferroelectric crystal, produced by spontaneous polarization of the ferroelectric, has been estimated by assuming a periodic domain structure and by using a method of Fourier-series expansion. Numerical calculations were carried out for crystals of triglycine sulphate. It was found that the maximum value of the electric field in the neighbourhood of the crystal surface is much stronger than the breakdown strength of air, which provides an explanation of the surface discharge phenomena.