Ultrahigh capacitive energy density in ion-bombarded relaxor ferroelectric films

Defect-enhanced energy storage Dielectric capacitors are vital components of electronics and power systems. The thin-film materials of which capacitors are composed are usually optimized by changing the material composition. However, Kim et al. found that postprocessing an already effective thin-film dielectric by high-energy ion bombardment further improved the material because of the introduction of specific types of defects that ultimately improved the energy storage performance. The results suggest that postprocessing may be important for developing the next generation of capacitors. Science , this issue p. 81