Overview

• Peer-reviewed results in Nature Physics report that common ice exhibits flexoelectricity, producing charge under uneven deformation up to 0°C (DOI: 10.1038/s41567-025-02995-6).
• Researchers also observed a thin surface ferroelectric layer below about −113°C (160 K) whose polarization reverses under an external field.
• In experiments, a bent ice slab placed between electrodes generated an electric potential that matches signals recorded from colliding ice particles in storms.
• The team proposes flexoelectricity as a plausible contributor to cloud electrification and lightning formation, while emphasizing that atmospheric confirmation is still needed.
• Scientists from ICN2, UAB, Xi’an Jiaotong University, and Stony Brook say early work is exploring device concepts that would use ice as an active material in cold environments.