Electrostriction and polarization

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Abstract
Electrostriction, the mechanical strain x resulting from electric polarization P, is a second order effect: x = QP 2. In this paper, the phenomenological and physical origins of the Q coefficients are discussed from a qualitative point of view. As pointed out by von Hippel, the mechanisms of electric polarization are space charge effects, dipole reorientation, ionic displacements and electronic polarizability. Not all of these mechanisms are equally effective in producing electrostriction. We have examined the Q coefficients reported for a number of solids in order to understand the relationships between the polarization mechanisms and electrostrictive strain. Trends were identified in the structure-property relationships but several important questions remain unanswered.