Antiferroelectric Anisotropy of Epitaxial PbHfO₃ Films for Flexible Energy Storage

Dielectric capacitors are widely studied for power supply systems because they can quickly store and release electrical energy. Among various kinds of dielectric materials, antiferroelectrics show promising features of high energy-storage density and efficiency. In this study, epitaxial antiferroelectric PbHfO₃ films with different orientations are fabricated, in which remarkable anisotropies of polarization and energy storage properties are discovered. With the optimization of film orientation, much-improved energy density and excellent high-temperature efficiency are achieved in the PbHfO₃ films. Moreover, the PbHfO₃ films are fabricated onto flexible mica substrates, which exhibit excellent property robustness against mechanical bending. This study provides a fundamental understanding of the anisotropic antiferroelectric behaviors of epitaxial PbHfO₃ films and provides a generalizable pathway for flexible energy-storage dielectric capacitors.