Interpretation of Polar Orders Based on Electric Characterizations: Example of Pb(Yb_1/2Nb_1/2)O₃-PbTiO₃ Solid Solution

Characterizing the polar order is a fundamental step in the understanding of a material and a necessity for application purposes since each polar order is associated with specific functionalities. Here, using the Pb(Yb_1/2Nb_1/2)O₃-PbTiO₃ (PYN-PT) solid solution as an example, we propose to differentiate the polar order based on two simple electrical characterization methods: measurement of the dielectric constant and hysteresis loops. Comparing the dielectric constant measured in high and low electric field conditions, we show that the polarization-electric field measurements may induce out-of-equilibrium phases. The better understanding of the effect of the measuring conditions on the polar order has led us to propose a new sequence of equilibrium polar orders in the PYN-PT solid solution at room temperature.