Properties
When laid down as thin films tens to hundreds of molecular layers thick, a range of materials spontaneously generate large electric fields. The electric fields can be greater than 108 V/m. 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.External links
References
* * * * {{Physics-footer Condensed matter physics