Microscopic modeling of polarization dynamics in leaky dielectrics: Insights into ferroelectric-like behavior

Abstract

Based on a microscopic model of nonequilibrium carrier generation in a leaky dielectric, we analytically derive hysteresis loops for the dielectric response of non-polar, non-ferroelectric materials. We demonstrate how complex dielectric responses can emerge solely from the influence of transport processes that depend on energy levels, voltage polarity, and asymmetries in charge transfer rates. By combining Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy and voltammetry, we address critical questions related to the microscopic mechanisms in poorly conductive systems dominated by displacement currents. The impedance analysis, extended to higher-order harmonics, provides deeper insights into the dynamic behavior of dielectric materials, emphasizing the need to correlate impedance spectroscopy with dielectric spectroscopy for a thorough understanding of dipole relaxation and transport phenomena. Our approach provides a fully analytical framework that directly correlates microscopic charge dynamics with macroscopic dielectric responses, offering enhanced accuracy and predictive capability for systems dominated by displacement currents.