Direct evidence of mesoscopic dynamic heterogeneities at the surfaces of ergodic ferroelectric relaxors

Journal Article · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 2010 · Physical Review B

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.81.064107· OSTI ID:988760

Kalinin, Sergei V ^[1]; Rodriguez, Brian ^[2]; Budai, John D ^[1]; Jesse, Stephen ^[1]; Morozovska, A. N. ^[3]; Bokov, Alexei A. ^[4]; Ye, Z. -G. ^[4]

---

1. ORNL
2. University College, Dublin
3. National Academy of Science of Ukraine, Kiev, Ukraine
4. Simon Fraser University, Canada

Spatial variability of polarization relaxation kinetics in the relaxor ferroelectric 0.9Pb(Mg{sub 1/3}Nb{sub 2/3})O{sub 3}-0.1PbTiO{sub 3} is studied using time-resolved piezoresponse force microscopy at room temperature. Both the statistical principal component and correlation function analysis and the stretched exponent fits of relaxation curves illustrate the presence of mesoscopic 'fast' and 'slow' 100-200 nm regions. The spatial distribution of activation energies is reconstructed using a neural-network-based inversion of the relaxation data. The results directly prove the presence of mesoscopic heterogeneities associated with static and dynamic components of the order parameter on the surfaces of ferroelectric relaxors in the ergodic phase.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)
• Sponsoring Organization: SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC)
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-00OR22725
• OSTI ID: 988760
• Journal Information: Physical Review B, Journal Name: Physical Review B Journal Issue: 6 Vol. 81; ISSN 1098-0121; ISSN 1550-235X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
CORRELATION FUNCTIONS
FERROELECTRIC MATERIALS
KINETICS
LEAD OXIDES
NIOBIUM OXIDES
ORDER PARAMETERS
POLARIZATION
RELAXATION
SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION
TITANIUM OXIDES