Revealing the mechanism of electric-field-induced phase transition in antiferroelectric NaNbO3 by in situ high-energy x-ray diffraction

Antiferroelectric materials exhibit electric field-induced phase transitions between antiferroelectric and ferroelectric states, which enable their use in energy storage and other applications. However, the mechanisms of these transitions are insufficiently understood. Here, we considered the electr...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Applied physics letters 2021-03, Vol.118 (13)
Main Authors: Zhang, Mao-Hua, Zhao, Changhao, Fulanović, Lovro, Rödel, Jürgen, Novak, Nikola, Schökel, Alexander, Koruza, Jurij
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Antiferroelectricity
Applied physics
Crystallography
Decoupling
Electric fields
Energy storage
Ferroelectric materials
Lead free
Phase transitions
Polarization
Sodium compounds
Switching
Unit cell
Volumetric strain
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Summary:Antiferroelectric materials exhibit electric field-induced phase transitions between antiferroelectric and ferroelectric states, which enable their use in energy storage and other applications. However, the mechanisms of these transitions are insufficiently understood. Here, we considered the electric field-induced phase transition in the lead-free antiferroelectric NaNbO3. Macroscopic measurements of polarization and longitudinal, transverse, and volumetric strain were complemented with simultaneous structural investigations using high-energy x-ray radiation, yielding crystallographic strain and unit cell volume changes. The field-induced behavior can be divided into the structural antiferroelectric–ferroelectric phase transition at about 8 kV/mm and the clearly decoupled polarization switching process at about 12 kV/mm, which is associated with a large increase in polarization and strain. Decoupling of the field-induced phase transition and polarization switching is related to the randomly oriented grains and mechanical stress present at the phase boundary.
ISSN:0003-6951
1077-3118
DOI:10.1063/5.0043050