The origin of ultrahigh piezoelectricity in relaxor-ferroelectric solid solution crystals

Fei Li, Shujun Zhang (), Tiannan Yang, Zhuo Xu, Nan Zhang, Gang Liu, Jianjun Wang, Jianli Wang, Zhenxiang Cheng, Zuo-Guang Ye, Jun Luo, Thomas R. Shrout and Long-Qing Chen ()
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Fei Li: Materials Research Institute, Pennsylvania State University
Shujun Zhang: Materials Research Institute, Pennsylvania State University
Tiannan Yang: Materials Research Institute, Pennsylvania State University
Zhuo Xu: Electronic Materials Research Laboratory, Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education and International Center for Dielectric Research, Xi’an Jiaotong University
Nan Zhang: Electronic Materials Research Laboratory, Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education and International Center for Dielectric Research, Xi’an Jiaotong University
Gang Liu: High Pressure Synergetic Consortium, Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institute of Washington
Jianjun Wang: Materials Research Institute, Pennsylvania State University
Jianli Wang: Institute for Superconducting and Electronic Materials, Australian Institute of Innovative Materials, University of Wollongong
Zhenxiang Cheng: Institute for Superconducting and Electronic Materials, Australian Institute of Innovative Materials, University of Wollongong
Zuo-Guang Ye: Electronic Materials Research Laboratory, Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education and International Center for Dielectric Research, Xi’an Jiaotong University
Jun Luo: TRS Technologies Inc.
Thomas R. Shrout: Materials Research Institute, Pennsylvania State University
Long-Qing Chen: Materials Research Institute, Pennsylvania State University

Nature Communications, 2016, vol. 7, issue 1, 1-9

Abstract: Abstract The discovery of ultrahigh piezoelectricity in relaxor-ferroelectric solid solution single crystals is a breakthrough in ferroelectric materials. A key signature of relaxor-ferroelectric solid solutions is the existence of polar nanoregions, a nanoscale inhomogeneity, that coexist with normal ferroelectric domains. Despite two decades of extensive studies, the contribution of polar nanoregions to the underlying piezoelectric properties of relaxor ferroelectrics has yet to be established. Here we quantitatively characterize the contribution of polar nanoregions to the dielectric/piezoelectric responses of relaxor-ferroelectric crystals using a combination of cryogenic experiments and phase-field simulations. The contribution of polar nanoregions to the room-temperature dielectric and piezoelectric properties is in the range of 50–80%. A mesoscale mechanism is proposed to reveal the origin of the high piezoelectricity in relaxor ferroelectrics, where the polar nanoregions aligned in a ferroelectric matrix can facilitate polarization rotation. This mechanism emphasizes the critical role of local structure on the macroscopic properties of ferroelectric materials.

Date: 2016
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms13807

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