TY - JOUR
T1 - Direct observation of monoclinic polar nanoregions in the relaxor ferroelectric Pb(Yb1/2Nb1/2)O3–PbTiO3
AU - Nakajima, Hiroshi
AU - Hiroi, Satoshi
AU - Tsukasaki, Hirofumi
AU - Cochard, Charlotte
AU - Porcher, Florence
AU - Janolin, Pierre-Eymeric
AU - Mori, Shigeo
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was supported in part by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Numbers JP19H05814, JP19H05625, JP20K15031, JP21K14538, and JP21H04625. The synchrotron radiation experiments were performed at BL04B2 of SPring-8 with the approval of the Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute (Proposal No. 2022A1085).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 American Physical Society. All rights reserved.
PY - 2022/7/29
Y1 - 2022/7/29
N2 - Relaxor ferroelectrics are applied in electronic devices such as actuators and sonars. Morphotrophic phase boundaries (MPBs) with monoclinic structures are known for their high piezoelectricity and electromechanical coupling factors in solid solutions of PbTiO3 and relaxor ferroelectrics (Pb(Mg1/3, Nb2/3)O3 or Pb(Zn1/3, Nb2/3)O3). However, the monoclinic structures related to polar nanosize domains (polar nanoregions) exhibiting the relaxor properties of dielectric dispersion have not been reported. Using transmission electron microscopy and synchrotron x-ray scattering, we present the first observations of coexisting monoclinic structures and polar nanoregions near the MPB in Pb(Yb1/2Nb1/2)O3–PbTiO3. The polar nanoregions in this material are randomly shaped, unlike the ferroelectric nanodomains of the canonical relaxor Pb(Mg1/3, Nb2/3)O3–PbTiO3. Furthermore, in situ observations reveal that the monoclinic polar nanoregions grow as the temperature decreases. A pair-distribution function analysis reveals a mixture of monoclinic Pm and Cm structures in the polar nanoregions without the rhombohedral structure of other Pb-based relaxor solid solutions. Owing to the peculiar nature of the coexistence of the relaxor property (polar nanoregions) and high piezoelectricity (monoclinic structure), this material is expected as a new platform for understanding relaxor ferroelectricity.
AB - Relaxor ferroelectrics are applied in electronic devices such as actuators and sonars. Morphotrophic phase boundaries (MPBs) with monoclinic structures are known for their high piezoelectricity and electromechanical coupling factors in solid solutions of PbTiO3 and relaxor ferroelectrics (Pb(Mg1/3, Nb2/3)O3 or Pb(Zn1/3, Nb2/3)O3). However, the monoclinic structures related to polar nanosize domains (polar nanoregions) exhibiting the relaxor properties of dielectric dispersion have not been reported. Using transmission electron microscopy and synchrotron x-ray scattering, we present the first observations of coexisting monoclinic structures and polar nanoregions near the MPB in Pb(Yb1/2Nb1/2)O3–PbTiO3. The polar nanoregions in this material are randomly shaped, unlike the ferroelectric nanodomains of the canonical relaxor Pb(Mg1/3, Nb2/3)O3–PbTiO3. Furthermore, in situ observations reveal that the monoclinic polar nanoregions grow as the temperature decreases. A pair-distribution function analysis reveals a mixture of monoclinic Pm and Cm structures in the polar nanoregions without the rhombohedral structure of other Pb-based relaxor solid solutions. Owing to the peculiar nature of the coexistence of the relaxor property (polar nanoregions) and high piezoelectricity (monoclinic structure), this material is expected as a new platform for understanding relaxor ferroelectricity.
UR - https://journals.aps.org/prmaterials/accepted/95075ZecE051d10fd2e80e10cbcb70539b12e4e55
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2207.06015
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85135945060&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1103/PhysRevMaterials.6.074411
DO - 10.1103/PhysRevMaterials.6.074411
M3 - Article
SN - 2475-9953
VL - 6
JO - Physical Review Materials
JF - Physical Review Materials
IS - 7
M1 - 074411
ER -