Multiple local symmetries result in a common average polar axis in high-strain BiFeO3-based ceramics

DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.130.076801

Authors: Ge Wang (University of Manchester; University of Sheffield) , Tengfei Hu (Shanghai Institute of Ceramics; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences) , Wenxuan Zhu (Beijing Institute of Technology) , Zhilun Lu (Edinburgh Napier University) , Annette Kleppe (Diamond Light Source) , Maria Diaz Lopez (Diamond Light Source) , Antonio Feteira (Sheffield Hallam University) , Derek C. Sinclair (University of Sheffield) , Zhengqian Fu (Shanghai Institute of Ceramics) , Houbing Huang (Beijing Institute of Technology) , Dawei Wang (Harbin Institute of Technology) , Ian M. Reaney (University of Sheffield)
Co-authored by industrial partner: No

Type: Journal Paper
Journal: Physical Review Letters , VOL 130

State: Published (Approved)
Published: February 2023
Diamond Proposal Number(s): 21714 , 27500

Abstract: For the first time, the origin of large electrostrain in pseudocubic BiFeO 3 -based ceramics is verified with direct structural evidence backed by appropriate simulations. We employ advanced structural and microstructural characterizations of BiFeO 3 -based ceramics that exhibit large electrostrain ( > 0.4 % ) to reveal the existence of multiple, nanoscale local symmetries, dominantly tetragonal or orthorhombic, which have a common, averaged direction of polarization over larger, meso- or microscale regions. Phase-field simulations confirm the existence of local nanoscale symmetries, thereby providing a new vision for designing high-performance lead-free ceramics for high-strain actuators.

Journal Keywords: Crystal structure; Crystal symmetry; Domains; Electric polarization; Electrostriction; Ferroelectric phase transition; Ferroelectricity; Piezoelectricity; Structural phase transition

Diamond Keywords: Ferroelectricity; Piezoelectricity

Subject Areas: Materials, Physics


Instruments: I15-1-X-ray Pair Distribution Function (XPDF) , I15-Extreme Conditions

Added On: 24/02/2023 09:09

Discipline Tags:

Ceramics Energy Materials Materials Science

Technical Tags:

Diffraction Scattering Pair Distribution Function (PDF) Total Scattering