Coupled polarization and nanodomain evolution underpins large electromechanical responses in relaxors

Kim, Jieun; Kumar, Abinash; Qi, Yubo; Takenaka, Hiroyuki; Ryan, Philip J.; Meyers, Derek; Kim, Jong-Woo; Fernandez, Abel; Tian, Zishen; Rappe, Andrew M.; LeBeau, James M.; Martin, Lane W.

doi:10.1038/s41567-022-01773-y

Coupled polarization and nanodomain evolution underpins large electromechanical responses in relaxors

Journal Article · Thu Oct 06 00:00:00 EDT 2022 · Nature Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41567-022-01773-y· OSTI ID:2426630

^[1]; Kumar, Abinash ^[2]; Qi, Yubo ^[3]; Takenaka, Hiroyuki ^[4]; Ryan, Philip J. ^[5]; ^[6]; ^[5]; Fernandez, Abel ^[7]; Tian, Zishen ^[1]; ^[3]; ^[2]; ^[7]

University of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)
Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States)
Univ. of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA (United States)
Univ. of California, Santa Cruz, CA (United States)
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States). Advanced Photon Source (APS)
Oklahoma State Univ., Stillwater, OK (United States)
University of California, Berkeley, CA (United States); Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Materials Sciences Division

Understanding the evolution and role of nanoscale polar structures during polarization rotation in relaxor ferroelectrics is a long-standing challenge in materials science and condensed-matter physics. These nanoscale polar structures are characterized by polar nanodomains, which are believed to play a key role in enabling the large susceptibilities of relaxors. Here, using epitaxial strain, we stabilize the intermediate step during polarization rotation in epitaxial films of a prototypical relaxor and study the co-evolution of polarization and polar nanodomains. Our multimodal approach allows for a detailed examination of correlations between polarization and polar nanodomains; illuminates the effect of local chemistry, strain and electric field on their co-evolution; and reveals the underappreciated role of strain in enabling the large electromechanical coupling in relaxors. As the strain increases, the competition between chemistry-driven disorder and strain-driven order of the polar units intensifies, which is manifested in the coexistence of inclined and elongated polar nanodomains in the intermediate step of polarization rotation. Our findings establish that structural transitions between polar nanodomain configurations underpins the polarization rotation and large electromechanical coupling of relaxors.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: National Science Foundation (NSF); US Army Research Office (ARO); US Department of the Navy, Office of Naval Research (ONR); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES). Scientific User Facilities (SUF)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC02-06CH11357

OSTI ID:: 2426630

Journal Information:: Nature Physics, Journal Name: Nature Physics Journal Issue: 12 Vol. 18; ISSN 1745-2473

Publisher:: Nature Publishing Group (NPG)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

References (39)

Local Structural Heterogeneity and Electromechanical Responses of Ferroelectrics: Learning from Relaxor Ferroelectrics Li, Fei; Zhang, Shujun; Damjanovic, Dragan Advanced Functional Materials, Vol. 28, Issue 37 https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.201801504	journal	July 2018
Connecting the Multiscale Structure with Macroscopic Response of Relaxor Ferroelectrics Otoničar, Mojca; Bradeško, Andraž; Fulanović, Lovro Advanced Functional Materials, Vol. 30, Issue 52 https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202006823	journal	October 2020
Epitaxial Strain Control of Relaxor Ferroelectric Phase Evolution Kim, Jieun; Takenaka, Hiroyuki; Qi, Yubo Advanced Materials, Vol. 31, Issue 21 https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.201901060	journal	April 2019
Picturing the elephant: Giant piezoelectric activity and the monoclinic phases of relaxor-ferroelectric single crystals Davis, Matthew Journal of Electroceramics, Vol. 19, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10832-007-9046-1	journal	February 2007
Diffuse Scattering and Monte Carlo Studies of Relaxor Ferroelectrics Welberry, T. R. Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A, Vol. 39, Issue 13 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11661-008-9572-8	journal	June 2008
Frequency-dependent suppression of field-induced polarization rotation in relaxor ferroelectric thin films Kim, Jieun; Meyers, Derek J.; Kumar, Abinash Matter, Vol. 4, Issue 7 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matt.2021.04.017	journal	July 2021
Position averaged convergent beam electron diffraction: Theory and applications LeBeau, James M.; Findlay, Scott D.; Allen, Leslie J. Ultramicroscopy, Vol. 110, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ultramic.2009.10.001	journal	January 2010
Revolving scanning transmission electron microscopy: Correcting sample drift distortion without prior knowledge Sang, Xiahan; LeBeau, James M. Ultramicroscopy, Vol. 138 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ultramic.2013.12.004	journal	March 2014
Polarization rotation mechanism for ultrahigh electromechanical response in single-crystal piezoelectrics Fu, Huaxiang; Cohen, Ronald E. Nature, Vol. 403, Issue 6767 https://doi.org/10.1038/35002022	journal	January 2000
The giant electromechanical response in ferroelectric relaxors as a critical phenomenon Kutnjak, Z.; Petzelt, J.; Blinc, R. Nature, Vol. 441, Issue 7096 https://doi.org/10.1038/nature04854	journal	June 2006
Slush-like polar structures in single-crystal relaxors Takenaka, Hiroyuki; Grinberg, Ilya; Liu, Shi Nature, Vol. 546, Issue 7658 https://doi.org/10.1038/nature22068	journal	June 2017
The origin of ultrahigh piezoelectricity in relaxor-ferroelectric solid solution crystals Li, Fei; Zhang, Shujun; Yang, Tiannan Nature Communications, Vol. 7, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms13807	journal	December 2016
Phonon localization drives polar nanoregions in a relaxor ferroelectric Manley, M. E.; Lynn, J. W.; Abernathy, D. L. Nature Communications, Vol. 5, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms4683	journal	April 2014
Phase instability induced by polar nanoregions in a relaxor ferroelectric system Xu, Guangyong; Wen, Jinsheng; Stock, C. Nature Materials, Vol. 7, Issue 7 https://doi.org/10.1038/nmat2196	journal	May 2008
The relation of local order to material properties in relaxor ferroelectrics Krogstad, M. J.; Gehring, P. M.; Rosenkranz, S. Nature Materials, Vol. 17, Issue 8 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41563-018-0112-7	journal	June 2018
Atomic-resolution electron microscopy of nanoscale local structure in lead-based relaxor ferroelectrics Kumar, Abinash; Baker, Jonathon N.; Bowes, Preston C. Nature Materials, Vol. 20, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41563-020-0794-5	journal	September 2020
Anisotropic epitaxial stabilization of a low-symmetry ferroelectric with enhanced electromechanical response Paull, Oliver; Xu, Changsong; Cheng, Xuan Nature Materials, Vol. 21, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41563-021-01098-w	journal	September 2021
Inverse transition of labyrinthine domain patterns in ferroelectric thin films Nahas, Y.; Prokhorenko, S.; Fischer, J. Nature, Vol. 577, Issue 7788 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-019-1845-4	journal	January 2020
Adaptive ferroelectric states in systems with low domain wall energy: Tetragonal microdomains Jin, Y. M.; Wang, Y. U.; Khachaturyan, A. G. Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 94, Issue 5 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1599632	journal	September 2003
X-ray and neutron diffraction investigations of the structural phase transformation sequence under electric field in 0.7Pb(Mg1∕3Nb2∕3)-0.3PbTiO3 crystal Bai, Feiming; Wang, Naigang; Li, Jiefang Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 96, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1766087	journal	August 2004
Uniaxial-stress induced phase transitions in [001]C-poled 0.955Pb(Zn1∕3Nb2∕3)O3–0.045PbTiO3 Janolin, Pierre-Eymeric; Dkhil, Brahim; Davis, Matthew Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 90, Issue 15 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2721856	journal	April 2007
Response of polar nanoregions in 68%Pb(Mg1∕3Nb2∕3)O3-32%PbTiO3 to a [001] electric field Wen, Jinsheng; Xu, Guangyong; Stock, C. Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 93, Issue 8 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2959077	journal	August 2008
Ultrahigh strain and piezoelectric behavior in relaxor based ferroelectric single crystals Park, Seung-Eek; Shrout, Thomas R. Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 82, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.365983	journal	August 1997
The giant piezoelectric effect: electric field induced monoclinic phase or piezoelectric distortion of the rhombohedral parent? Kisi, E. H.; Piltz, R. O.; Forrester, J. S. Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter, Vol. 15, Issue 21 https://doi.org/10.1088/0953-8984/15/21/311	journal	May 2003
Three-dimensional mapping of diffuse scattering in Pb ( Zn 1 ∕ 3 Nb 2 ∕ 3 ) O 3 − x Pb Ti O 3 Xu, Guangyong; Zhong, Z.; Hiraka, H. Physical Review B, Vol. 70, Issue 17 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.70.174109	journal	November 2004
Electric-field-, temperature-, and stress-induced phase transitions in relaxor ferroelectric single crystals Davis, Matthew; Damjanovic, Dragan; Setter, Nava Physical Review B, Vol. 73, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.73.014115	journal	January 2006
Composition dependence of the diffuse scattering in the relaxor ferroelectric compound ( 1 − x ) Pb ( Mg 1 ∕ 3 Nb 2 ∕ 3 ) O 3 − x PbTiO 3 ( 0 ≤ x ≤ 0.40 ) Matsuura, M.; Hirota, K.; Gehring, P. M. Physical Review B, Vol. 74, Issue 14 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.74.144107	journal	October 2006
Interpretation of the diffuse scattering in Pb-based relaxor ferroelectrics in terms of three-dimensional nanodomains of the ⟨110⟩-directed relative interdomain atomic shifts Paściak, Marek; Wołcyrz, Marek; Pietraszko, Adam Physical Review B, Vol. 76, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.76.014117	journal	July 2007
Real-Time Direct Observations of Polarization Reversal in a Piezoelectric Crystal: Pb ( Mg 1 / 3 Nb 2 / 3 ) O 3 − PbTiO 3 Studied via In Situ Electrical Biasing Transmission Electron Microscopy Sato, Yukio; Hirayama, Tsukasa; Ikuhara, Yuichi Physical Review Letters, Vol. 107, Issue 18 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.107.187601	journal	October 2011
Properties of Epitaxial Films Made of Relaxor Ferroelectrics Prosandeev, S.; Wang, Dawei; Bellaiche, L. Physical Review Letters, Vol. 111, Issue 24 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.111.247602	journal	December 2013
Morphotropic Relaxor Boundary in a Relaxor System Showing Enhancement of Electrostrain and Dielectric Permittivity Yang, Yang; Ji, Yuanchao; Fang, Minxia Physical Review Letters, Vol. 123, Issue 13 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.123.137601	journal	September 2019
Origin of the High Piezoelectric Response in PbZr 1 − x Ti x O 3 Guo, R.; Cross, L. E.; Park, S-E. Physical Review Letters, Vol. 84, Issue 23 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.84.5423	journal	June 2000
Polarization Rotation via a Monoclinic Phase in the Piezoelectric 92% PbZn 1 / 3 Nb 2 / 3 O 3 -8% PbTiO 3 Noheda, B.; Cox, D. E.; Shirane, G. Physical Review Letters, Vol. 86, Issue 17 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.86.3891	journal	April 2001
Diffuse scattering in relaxor ferroelectrics: true three-dimensional mapping, experimental artefacts and modelling Bosak, A.; Chernyshov, D.; Vakhrushev, Sergey Acta Crystallographica Section A Foundations of Crystallography, Vol. 68, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1107/S0108767311040281	journal	November 2011
Giant electromechanical coupling of relaxor ferroelectrics controlled by polar nanoregion vibrations Manley, Michael E.; Abernathy, Douglas L.; Sahul, Raffi Science Advances, Vol. 2, Issue 9 https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.1501814	journal	September 2016
Ultrafast disordering of vanadium dimers in photoexcited VO ₂ Wall, Simon; Yang, Shan; Vidas, Luciana Science, Vol. 362, Issue 6414 https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aau3873	journal	November 2018
Giant piezoelectricity of Sm-doped Pb(Mg _1/3 Nb _2/3 )O ₃ -PbTiO ₃ single crystals Li, Fei; Cabral, Matthew J.; Xu, Bin Science, Vol. 364, Issue 6437 https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aaw2781	journal	April 2019
Neutron Diffraction Study of the Irreversible R–M _A –M _C Phase Transition in Single Crystal Pb[(Zn _1/3 Nb _2/3 ) _{1- x} Ti _x ]O ₃ Ohwada, Kenji; Hirota, Kazuma; Rehrig, Paul W. Journal of the Physical Society of Japan, Vol. 70, Issue 9 https://doi.org/10.1143/JPSJ.70.2778	journal	September 2001
Diffuse Scattering from Lead-Containing Ferroelectric Perovskite Oxides Goossens, D. J. ISRN Materials Science, Vol. 2013 https://doi.org/10.1155/2013/107178	journal	January 2013

Figures / Tables (4)

Similar Records

Epitaxial Strain Control of Relaxor Ferroelectric Phase Evolution

Journal Article · Tue Apr 09 20:00:00 EDT 2019 · Advanced Materials · OSTI ID:1633233

Local Structural Heterogeneity and Electromechanical Responses of Ferroelectrics: Learning from Relaxor Ferroelectrics

Journal Article · Sat Jul 28 20:00:00 EDT 2018 · Advanced Functional Materials · OSTI ID:1462121

Giant electromechanical coupling of relaxor ferroelectrics controlled by polar nanoregion vibrations

Journal Article · Thu Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 2016 · Science Advances · OSTI ID:1326476

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE

Coupled polarization and nanodomain evolution underpins large electromechanical responses in relaxors

Citation Formats

References (39)

Figures / Tables (4)

Similar Records

Related Subjects