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

Journal Article · 29 July 2018 · Advanced Functional Materials

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.201801504 · OSTI ID:1462121

Li, Fei  ^[1]; Zhang, Shujun ^[2]; Damjanovic, Dragan ^[3]; Chen, Long‐Qing ^[4]; Shrout, Thomas R. ^[4]

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1. Electronic Materials Research Laboratory Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education and International Center for Dielectric Research School of Electronic and Information Engineering State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behaviour of Materials Xi'an Jiaotong University Xi'an 710049 China, Materials Research Institute Pennsylvania State University University Park PA 16802 USA
2. Materials Research Institute Pennsylvania State University University Park PA 16802 USA, Institute for Superconducting and Electronic Materials Australia Institute of Innovative Materials University of Wollongong NSW 2500 Australia
3. Group for Ferroelectrics and Functional Oxides Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne‐EPFL 1015 Lausanne Switzerland
4. Materials Research Institute Pennsylvania State University University Park PA 16802 USA

Abstract Long‐range ordering of dipoles is a key microscopic signature of ferroelectrics. These ordered dipoles form ferroelectric domains, which can be reoriented by electric fields. Relaxor ferroelectrics are a type of ferroelectric where the long‐range ordering of dipoles is disrupted by cation disorder, exhibiting complex polar states with a significant amount of local structural heterogeneity at the nanoscale. They are the materials of choice for numerous devices such as capacitors, nonlinear optical devices, and piezoelectric transducers, owing to their extraordinary dielectric, electro‐optic, and electromechanical properties. However, despite their extensive applications in these devices, the origins of their unique properties are yet to be fully understood, hindering the design and exploration of new relaxor ferroelectric‐based materials. Herein, the complex polar states and applications of relaxor ferroelectrics are first introduced. Attention is then focused on their electromechanical properties, where the relationship between local structural heterogeneity and the extraordinary electromechanical properties is discussed. Based on the understanding of relaxor ferroelectrics, potential strategies to exploit the local structural heterogeneity to design ferroelectrics for drastically enhancing their electromechanical performances are also discussed. It is expected that this article will stimulate future studies on the important roles of local structural heterogeneity in improving the properties of various functional materials.

• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• Grant/Contract Number: DE‐FG02‐07ER46417
• OSTI ID: 1462121
• Journal Information: Advanced Functional Materials, Journal Name: Advanced Functional Materials Vol. 28 Journal Issue: 37; ISSN 1616-301X
• Publisher: Wiley Blackwell (John Wiley & Sons)Copyright Statement
• Country of Publication: Germany
• Language: English