Isogeometric topology optimization of flexoelectric materials based on perturbation analysis

Authored by

Bin Li, Qiang Yue, S. S. Nanthakumar, Timon Rabczuk, Xiaoying Zhuang

Abstract

Flexoelectricity is a scale-dependent phenomenon that becomes increasingly significant at smaller scales. With the growing trend toward the miniaturization of electronic devices, this characteristic enables the tailoring of material properties through microscale design to meet specific application requirements. We propose an innovative isogeometric topology optimization framework based on perturbation analysis for the design of flexoelectric materials. The framework utilizes second-order computational homogenization to determine equivalent material parameters and performs direct sensitivity analysis. Inspired by the level set method, this density-based approach incorporates a heuristic density threshold scheme to achieve clear separation between material phases. The proposed framework provides a robust and computationally efficient platform for flexoelectric material design. Numerical simulations demonstrate enhanced flexoelectric effects and the generation of equivalent piezoelectric materials, highlighting the potential of this method for advancing microscale material engineering applications.

Details

Organisation(s)
Institute of Photonics
External Organisation(s)
Tongji University
Bauhaus-Universität Weimar
Type
Article
Journal
Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering
Volume
448
ISSN
0045-7825
Publication date
01.01.2026
Publication status
Published
Peer reviewed
Yes
ASJC Scopus subject areas
Computational Mechanics, Mechanics of Materials, Mechanical Engineering, General Physics and Astronomy, Computer Science Applications
Electronic version(s)
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cma.2025.118475 (Access: Open )

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