Topology optimization for precipitation hardening in ferroelectric material

Recent studies have shown that precipitation hardening effectively enhances the mechanical quality factor of ferroelectric material. In this work, Li‐doped NaNbO₃, a material system with elliptical precipitates is investigated. We present a mechanical model to determine energetically stable precipitate shapes by minimizing the total energy, consisting of elastic and interface energy. Furthermore, we investigate the influence of external loads on the precipitate topology. Correct elastic constants as well as lattice misfits for the simulation are provided. The shapes determined from finite element simulations agree well with observed results.