Sample records for relaxor ferroelectric behavior

  1. Re-entrant relaxor ferroelectricity of methylammonium lead iodide

    DOE PAGES

    Guo, Haiyan; Liu, Peixue; Zheng, Shichao; ...

    2016-09-24

    In this paper, we have performed a piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) study on methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI 3) thin films in normal (non-resonance, non-band-excitation) contact mode. In contrast to the ferroelectric Pb 0.76Ca 0.24TiO 3 (PCT) control sample, a typical ferroelectric response was not observed. However, a nonlinear electric field dependence of the local PFM amplitude was found in MAPbI 3, similar to PCT. An analysis combining results on structure, dielectric dispersion, and weak ferroelectricity demonstrates that MAPbI 3 is actually a re-entrant relaxor ferroelectric which, upon cooling, enters into a relaxor phase below its ferroelectric phase transition at ~327more » K, due to the balance between the long range ferroelectric order and structural methylammonium group orientational disorder. The ferroelectricity at room temperature is compromised due to the re-entrant relaxor behavior, causing the poor polarization retention or weak ferroelectricity. Finally, our findings essentially conciliate the conflicting experimental results on MAPbI 3's ferroelectricity and are beneficial both for basic understanding as well as for device applications.« less

  2. Magneto-tunable relaxor ferroelectric properties in tricolor superlattices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, Dongwook; Ah Qune, L. F. N.; Seo, Ji Won

    2018-05-01

    An artificial structure composed of antiferroelectric NdMnO3, SrMnO3, and LaMnO3 layers exhibits high dielectric permittivity. It also shows ferromagnetic behavior despite that the layers are all antiferromagnetic. The structure displays frequency-dependent relaxor behavior under AC electric field and the permittivity increased up to 70% by an external magnetic field. Inhomogeneous polar nano-regions occur at the interfaces inside the structure and it originates from Mn3+/Mn4+, which induces ferroelectric/ferromagnetic properties in the structure and causes ferroelectric relaxor as well as magnetic-field induced behavior.

  3. Structurally frustrated relaxor ferroelectric behavior in CaCu{sub 3}Ti{sub 4}O{sub 12}

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Liu Yun; Withers, Ray L.; Wei Xiaoyong

    2005-10-01

    Direct diffraction evidence for structurally frustrated relaxor ferroelectric behavior in the form of one-dimensionally correlated, off-center displacements of Ti ions within the TiO{sub 6} octahedra of CaCu{sub 3}Ti{sub 4}O{sub 12} (CCTO) has been obtained. When coupled with the observation of a ferroelectric effect, important implications for the understanding of the extraordinary dielectric properties of CCTO arise. That the incipient ferroelectric behavior is correlated only along one-dimensional <001> columns of TiO{sub 6} octahedra in the absence of an applied electric field offers a crucial insight into the underlying nature of CCTO and suggests the existence of a unique class of structurallymore » frustrated, ferroelectric relaxors.« less

  4. Theory and computer simulation of relaxor ferroelectrics doped by off-center impurities

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Su, Chin-Cheng

    A family of ferroelectric materials have relaxation type dynamics. These materials, called relaxor ferroelectrics, show remarkable dielectric and electromechanical properties important for many practical applications that are different from those of normal ferroelectrics. Despite of the engineering importance of relaxor ferroelectrics, the physical origin of the relaxor behavior is not fully understood. A purpose of this thesis is to advance the theory of relaxor ferroelectrics and to develop the model, which could be used for a computer simulation of the static dielectric and dynamic properties and their relation to the concentration of dopant ions. In this thesis, a Ginzburg-Landau type theory of interaction of randomly distributed local dipoles immersed in a paraelectric crystal is developed. The interaction is caused by the polarization of the host lattice generated by these dipoles. It is long-ranged and decays proportionally to the inverse distance between the local dipoles. The obtained effective Hamiltonian of the dipole-dipole interaction is employed for both the Monte Carlo and the Master Equation simulations of the dielectric and ferroelectric properties of a system with off-center dopant ions producing local dipoles. The computer simulation shows that at low concentration of dopant ions the paraelectric state transforms into a macroscopically paraelectric state consisting of randomly oriented polar clusters. The behavior of the system is similar to that of a spin-glass system. The polar clusters amplify the effective dipole moment and significantly increase the dielectric constant. It is shown that the interaction between the clusters results in a spectrum of relaxation times and the transition to the relaxor state. The real and imaginary parts of the susceptibility of this state are calculated. The slim hysteresis loop in the polarization, which usually appears in the high temperature non-polarized relaxor ferroelectrics, is also obtained for our doped

  5. Phonon localization transition in relaxor ferroelectric PZN-5%PT

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Manley, Michael E.; Christianson, Andrew D.; Abernathy, Douglas L.

    Relaxor ferroelectric behavior occurs in many disordered ferroelectric materials but is not well understood at the atomic level. Recent experiments and theoretical arguments indicate that Anderson localization of phonons instigates relaxor behavior by driving the formation of polar nanoregions (PNRs). Here, we use inelastic neutron scattering to observe phonon localization in relaxor ferroelectric PZN-5%PT (0.95[Pb(Zn 1/3 Nb 2/3)O 3]–0.05PbTiO 3) and detect additional features of the localization process. In the lead, up to phonon localization on cooling, the local resonant modes that drive phonon localization increase in number. The increase in resonant scattering centers is attributed to a known increasemore » in the number of locally off centered Pb atoms on cooling. The transition to phonon localization occurs when these random scattering centers increase to a concentration where the Ioffe-Regel criterion is satisfied for localizing the phonon. Finally, we also model the effects of damped mode coupling on the observed phonons and phonon localization structure.« less

  6. Phonon localization transition in relaxor ferroelectric PZN-5%PT

    DOE PAGES

    Manley, Michael E.; Christianson, Andrew D.; Abernathy, Douglas L.; ...

    2017-03-27

    Relaxor ferroelectric behavior occurs in many disordered ferroelectric materials but is not well understood at the atomic level. Recent experiments and theoretical arguments indicate that Anderson localization of phonons instigates relaxor behavior by driving the formation of polar nanoregions (PNRs). Here, we use inelastic neutron scattering to observe phonon localization in relaxor ferroelectric PZN-5%PT (0.95[Pb(Zn 1/3 Nb 2/3)O 3]–0.05PbTiO 3) and detect additional features of the localization process. In the lead, up to phonon localization on cooling, the local resonant modes that drive phonon localization increase in number. The increase in resonant scattering centers is attributed to a known increasemore » in the number of locally off centered Pb atoms on cooling. The transition to phonon localization occurs when these random scattering centers increase to a concentration where the Ioffe-Regel criterion is satisfied for localizing the phonon. Finally, we also model the effects of damped mode coupling on the observed phonons and phonon localization structure.« less

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

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Li, Fei; Zhang, Shujun; Yang, Tiannan

    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 propertiesmore » 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.« less

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

    DOE PAGES

    Li, Fei; Zhang, Shujun; Yang, Tiannan; ...

    2016-12-19

    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 propertiesmore » 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.« less

  9. A brief review on relaxor ferroelectrics and selected issues in lead-free relaxors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ahn, Chang Won; Hong, Chang-Hyo; Choi, Byung-Yul; Kim, Hwang-Pill; Han, Hyoung-Su; Hwang, Younghun; Jo, Wook; Wang, Ke; Li, Jing-Feng; Lee, Jae-Shin; Kim, Ill Won

    2016-06-01

    Relaxor ferroelectricity is one of the most widely investigated but the least understood material classes in the condensed matter physics. This is largely due to the lack of experimental tools that decisively confirm the existing theoretical models. In spite of the diversity in the models, they share the core idea that the observed features in relaxors are closely related to localized chemical heterogeneity. Given this, this review attempts to overview the existing models of importance chronologically, from the diffuse phase transition model to the random-field model and to show how the core idea has been reflected in them to better shape our insight into the nature of relaxor-related phenomena. Then, the discussion will be directed to how the models of a common consensus, developed with the so-called canonical relaxors such as Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3 (PMN) and (Pb, La)(Zr, Ti)O3 (PLZT), are compatible with phenomenological explanations for the recently identified relaxors such as (Bi1/2Na1/2)TiO3 (BNT)-based lead-free ferroelectrics. This review will be finalized with a discussion on the theoretical aspects of recently introduced 0-3 and 2-2 ferroelectric/relaxor composites as a practical tool for strain engineering.

  10. Induction of relaxor state in ordinary ferroelectrics by isovalent ion substitution: A pretransitional martensitic texture case

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lente, M. H.; Moreira, E. N.; Garcia, D.; Eiras, J. A.; Neves, P. P.; Doriguetto, A. C.; Mastelaro, V. R.; Mascarenhas, Y. P.

    2006-02-01

    The understanding of the structural origin of relaxor ferroelectrics has been doubtlessly a long-standing puzzle in the field of ferroelectricity. Thus, motivated by the interest in improving the comprehension of this important issue, it a framework is proposed for explaining the origin of the relaxor state in ordinary ferroelectrics induced via the isovalent-ion substitution. Based on the martensitic transformation concepts, it is proposed that the continuous addition of isovalent ions in a so-called normal ferroelectric decreases considerably the elastic strain energy. This results in a gradual transformation of ferroelectric domain patterns from a micrometer polydomain structure (twins), through single domains, to nanometer-polar-“tweed” structures with glasslike behavior, that are, in turn, strongly driven by point defects and surface effects. The electrical interaction between these weakly coupled polar-tweed structures leads to a wide spectrum of relaxation times, thus resulting in a dielectric relaxation process, the signature of relaxor ferroelectrics.

  11. Origin of dielectric relaxor behavior in PVDF-based copolymer and terpolymer films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pramanick, Abhijit; Osti, Naresh C.; Jalarvo, Niina; Misture, Scott T.; Diallo, Souleymane Omar; Mamontov, Eugene; Luo, Y.; Keum, Jong-Kahk; Littrell, Ken

    2018-04-01

    Relaxor ferroelectrics exhibit frequency-dispersion of their dielectric permittivity peak as a function of temperature, the origin of which has been widely debated. Microscopic understanding of such behavior for polymeric ferroelectrics has presented new challenges since unlike traditional ceramic ferroelectrics, dielectric relaxation in polymers is a consequence of short-range molecular dynamics that are difficult to measure directly. Here, through careful analysis of atomic-level H-atom dynamics as determined by Quasi-elastic Neutron Scattering (QENS), we show that short-range molecular dynamics within crystalline domains cannot explain the macroscopic frequency-dispersion of dielectric properties observed in prototypical polyvinylidene-fluoride (PVDF)-based relaxor ferroelectrics. Instead, from multiscale quantitative microstructural characterization, a clear correlation between the amount of crystalline-amorphous interfaces and dielectric relaxation is observed, which indicates that such interfaces play a central role. These results provide critical insights into the role of atomic and microscopic structures towards relaxor behavior in ferroelectric polymers, which will be important for their future design.

  12. Random electric field instabilities of relaxor ferroelectrics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Arce-Gamboa, José R.; Guzmán-Verri, Gian G.

    2017-06-01

    Relaxor ferroelectrics are complex oxide materials which are rather unique to study the effects of compositional disorder on phase transitions. Here, we study the effects of quenched cubic random electric fields on the lattice instabilities that lead to a ferroelectric transition and show that, within a microscopic model and a statistical mechanical solution, even weak compositional disorder can prohibit the development of long-range order and that a random field state with anisotropic and power-law correlations of polarization emerges from the combined effect of their characteristic dipole forces and their inherent charge disorder. We compare and reproduce several key experimental observations in the well-studied relaxor PbMg1/3Nb2/3O3-PbTiO3.

  13. Random electric field instabilities of relaxor ferroelectrics

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Arce-Gamboa, Jose R.; Guzman-Verri, Gian G.

    Relaxor ferroelectrics are complex oxide materials which are rather unique to study the effects of compositional disorder on phase transitions. Here, we study the effects of quenched cubic random electric fields on the lattice instabilities that lead to a ferroelectric transition and show that, within a microscopic model and a statistical mechanical solution, even weak compositional disorder can prohibit the development of long-range order and that a random field state with anisotropic and power-law correlations of polarization emerges from the combined effect of their characteristic dipole forces and their inherent charge disorder. As a result, we compare and reproduce severalmore » key experimental observations in the well-studied relaxor PbMg 1/3Nb 2/3O 3–PbTiO 3.« less

  14. Random electric field instabilities of relaxor ferroelectrics

    DOE PAGES

    Arce-Gamboa, Jose R.; Guzman-Verri, Gian G.

    2017-06-13

    Relaxor ferroelectrics are complex oxide materials which are rather unique to study the effects of compositional disorder on phase transitions. Here, we study the effects of quenched cubic random electric fields on the lattice instabilities that lead to a ferroelectric transition and show that, within a microscopic model and a statistical mechanical solution, even weak compositional disorder can prohibit the development of long-range order and that a random field state with anisotropic and power-law correlations of polarization emerges from the combined effect of their characteristic dipole forces and their inherent charge disorder. As a result, we compare and reproduce severalmore » key experimental observations in the well-studied relaxor PbMg 1/3Nb 2/3O 3–PbTiO 3.« less

  15. Development of "fragility" in relaxor ferroelectrics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Yi-zhen; Chen, Lan; Wang, Hai-yan; Frank Zhang, X.; Fu, Jun; Xiong, Xiao-min; Zhang, Jin-xiu

    2014-02-01

    Relaxor ferroelectrics (RFs), a special class of the disordered crystals or ceramics, exhibit a pronounced slowdown of their dynamics upon cooling as glass-forming liquids, called the "Super-Arrhenius (SA)" relaxation. Despite great progress in glass-forming liquids, the "fragility" property of the SA relaxation in RFs remains unclear so far. By measuring the temperature-dependent dielectric relaxation in the typical relaxor Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-x%PbTiO3 (PMN - x%PT) with 0 ≤ x ≤ 20.0, we in-depth study the "fragility" properties of the SA relaxation in PMN - x%PT. Such fascinating issues as the mechanism of the "fragility" at an atomic scale, the roles of the systematic configurational entropy change and interaction among relaxing units (RUs, including polar nanoregions and free dipoles) and the relation between "fragility" and ferroelectric order are investigated. Our results show that both the "fragility" of the temperature-dependent SA relaxation and ferroelectric order in the PMN - x%PT systems investigated arise thermodynamically from the configurational-entropy loss due to the attractive interaction among RUs, and develops as a power law, possibly diverging at the finite critical temperature Tc. A reasonable physical scenario, based on our "configurational-entropy-loss" theory and Nowick's "stress-induced-ordering" theory, was proposed.

  16. Multidimensional dynamic piezoresponse measurements. Unraveling local relaxation behavior in relaxor-ferroelectrics via big data

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Vasudevan, Rama K.; Zhang, Shujun; Okatan, Mahmut Baris

    Compositional and charge disorder in ferroelectric relaxors lies at the heart of the unusual properties of these systems, such as aging and non-ergodicity, polarization rotations, and a host of temperature and field-driven phase transitions. However, much information about the field-dynamics of the polarization in the prototypical ferroelectric relaxor (1-x)Pb(Mg 1/3Nb 2/3)O 3-xPbTiO 3 (PMN-xPT) remains unprobed at the mesoscopic level. We use a piezoresponse force microscopy-based dynamic multimodal relaxation spectroscopy technique, enabling the study of ferroelectric switching and polarization relaxation at mesoscopic length scales, and carry out measurements on a PMN-0.28PT sample with minimal polishing. Results indicate that beyond amore » threshold DC bias the average relaxation increases as the system attempts to relax to the previous state. Phenomenological fitting reveals the presence of mesoscale heterogeneity in relaxation amplitudes and clearly suggests the presence of two distinct amplitudes. Independent component analysis reveals the presence of a disorder component of the relaxation, which is found to be strongly anti-correlated with the maximum piezoresponse at that location, suggesting smaller disorder effects where the polarization reversal is large and vice versa. The disorder in the relaxation amplitudes is postulated to arise from rhombohedral and field-induced tetragonal phase in the crystal, with each phase associated with its own relaxation amplitude. As a result, these studies highlight the crucial importance of the mixture of ferroelectric phases in the compositions in proximity of the morphotropic phase boundary in governing the local response and further highlight the ability of PFM voltage and time spectroscopies, in conjunction with big-data multivariate analyses, to locally map disorder and correlate it with parameters governing the dynamic behavior.« less

  17. Multidimensional dynamic piezoresponse measurements. Unraveling local relaxation behavior in relaxor-ferroelectrics via big data

    DOE PAGES

    Vasudevan, Rama K.; Zhang, Shujun; Okatan, Mahmut Baris; ...

    2015-08-19

    Compositional and charge disorder in ferroelectric relaxors lies at the heart of the unusual properties of these systems, such as aging and non-ergodicity, polarization rotations, and a host of temperature and field-driven phase transitions. However, much information about the field-dynamics of the polarization in the prototypical ferroelectric relaxor (1-x)Pb(Mg 1/3Nb 2/3)O 3-xPbTiO 3 (PMN-xPT) remains unprobed at the mesoscopic level. We use a piezoresponse force microscopy-based dynamic multimodal relaxation spectroscopy technique, enabling the study of ferroelectric switching and polarization relaxation at mesoscopic length scales, and carry out measurements on a PMN-0.28PT sample with minimal polishing. Results indicate that beyond amore » threshold DC bias the average relaxation increases as the system attempts to relax to the previous state. Phenomenological fitting reveals the presence of mesoscale heterogeneity in relaxation amplitudes and clearly suggests the presence of two distinct amplitudes. Independent component analysis reveals the presence of a disorder component of the relaxation, which is found to be strongly anti-correlated with the maximum piezoresponse at that location, suggesting smaller disorder effects where the polarization reversal is large and vice versa. The disorder in the relaxation amplitudes is postulated to arise from rhombohedral and field-induced tetragonal phase in the crystal, with each phase associated with its own relaxation amplitude. As a result, these studies highlight the crucial importance of the mixture of ferroelectric phases in the compositions in proximity of the morphotropic phase boundary in governing the local response and further highlight the ability of PFM voltage and time spectroscopies, in conjunction with big-data multivariate analyses, to locally map disorder and correlate it with parameters governing the dynamic behavior.« less

  18. Kinetics of Domain Switching by Mechanical and Electrical Stimulation in Relaxor-Based Ferroelectrics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Zibin; Hong, Liang; Wang, Feifei; An, Xianghai; Wang, Xiaolin; Ringer, Simon; Chen, Long-Qing; Luo, Haosu; Liao, Xiaozhou

    2017-12-01

    Ferroelectric materials have been extensively explored for applications in high-density nonvolatile memory devices because of their ferroelectric-ferroelastic domain-switching behavior under electric loading or mechanical stress. However, the existence of ferroelectric and ferroelastic backswitching would cause significant data loss, which affects the reliability of data storage. Here, we apply in situ transmission electron microscopy and phase-field modeling to explore the unique ferroelastic domain-switching kinetics and the origin of this in relaxor-based Pb (Mg1 /3Nb2 /3)O3-33 % PbTiO3 single-crystal pillars under electrical and mechanical stimulations. Results showed that the electric-mechanical hysteresis loop shifted for relaxor-based single-crystal pillars because of the low energy levels of domains in the material and the constraint on the pillars, resulting in various mechanically reversible and irreversible domain-switching states. The phenomenon can potentially be used for advanced bit writing and reading in nonvolatile memories, which effectively overcomes the backswitching problem and broadens the types of ferroelectric materials for nonvolatile memory applications.

  19. Boosting the Recoverable Energy Density of Lead-Free Ferroelectric Ceramic Thick Films through Artificially Induced Quasi-Relaxor Behavior.

    PubMed

    Peddigari, Mahesh; Palneedi, Haribabu; Hwang, Geon-Tae; Lim, Kyung Won; Kim, Ga-Yeon; Jeong, Dae-Yong; Ryu, Jungho

    2018-06-20

    Dielectric ceramic film capacitors, which store energy in the form of electric polarization, are promising for miniature pulsed power electronic device applications. For a superior energy storage performance of the capacitors, large recoverable energy density, along with high efficiency, high power density, fast charge/discharge rate, and good thermal/fatigue stability, is desired. Herein, we present highly dense lead-free 0.942[Na 0.535 K 0.480 NbO 3 ]-0.058LiNbO 3 (KNNLN) ferroelectric ceramic thick films (∼5 μm) demonstrating remarkable energy storage performance. The nanocrystalline KNNLN thick film fabricated by aerosol deposition (AD) process and annealed at 600 °C displayed a quasi-relaxor ferroelectric behavior, which is in contrast to the typical ferroelectric nature of the KNNLN ceramic in its bulk form. The AD film exhibited a large recoverable energy density of 23.4 J/cm 3 , with an efficiency of over 70% under the electric field of 1400 kV/cm. Besides, an ultrahigh power density of 38.8 MW/cm 3 together with a fast discharge speed of 0.45 μs, good fatigue endurance (up to 10 6 cycles), and thermal stability in a wide temperature range of 20-160 °C was also observed. Using the AD process, we could make a highly dense microstructure of the film containing nano-sized grains, which gave rise to the quasi-relaxor ferroelectric characteristics and the remarkable energy storage properties.

  20. Large Electrocaloric Effect in Relaxor Ferroelectric and Antiferroelectric Lanthanum Doped Lead Zirconate Titanate Ceramics

    PubMed Central

    Lu, Biao; Li, Peilian; Tang, Zhenhua; Yao, Yingbang; Gao, Xingsen; Kleemann, Wolfgang; Lu, Sheng-Guo

    2017-01-01

    Both relaxor ferroelectric and antiferroelectric materials can individually demonstrate large electrocaloric effects (ECE). However, in order to further enhance the ECE it is crucial to find a material system, which can exhibit simultaneously both relaxor ferroelectric and antiferroelectric properties, or easily convert from one into another in terms of the compositional tailoring. Here we report on a system, in which the structure can readily change from antiferroelectric into relaxor ferroelectric and vice versa. To this end relaxor ferroelectric Pb0.89La0.11(Zr0.7Ti0.3)0.9725O3 and antiferroelectric Pb0.93La0.07(Zr0.82Ti0.18)0.9825O3 ceramics were designed near the antiferroelectric-ferroelectric phase boundary line in the La2O3-PbZrO3-PbTiO3 phase diagram. Conventional solid state reaction processing was used to prepare the two compositions. The ECE properties were deduced from Maxwell relations and Landau-Ginzburg-Devonshire (LGD) phenomenological theory, respectively, and also directly controlled by a computer and measured by thermometry. Large electrocaloric efficiencies were obtained and comparable with the results calculated via the phenomenological theory. Results show great potential in achieving large cooling power as refrigerants. PMID:28345655

  1. Stable Ferroelectric Behavior of Nb-Modified Bi0.5K0.5TiO3-Bi(Mg0.5Ti0.5)O3 Lead-Free Relaxor Ferroelectric Ceramics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zaman, Arif; Malik, Rizwan Ahmed; Maqbool, Adnan; Hussain, Ali; Ahmed, Tanveer; Song, Tae Kwon; Kim, Won-Jeong; Kim, Myong-Ho

    2018-03-01

    Crystal structure, dielectric, ferroelectric, piezoelectric, and electric field-induced strain properties of lead-free Nb-modified 0.96Bi0.5K0.5TiO3-0.04Bi(Mg0.5Ti0.5)O3 (BKT-BMT) piezoelectric ceramics were investigated. Crystal structure analysis showed a gradual phase transition from tetragonal to pseudocubic phase with increasing Nb content. The optimal piezoelectric property of small-signal d 33 was enhanced up to ˜ 68 pC/N with a lower coercive field ( E c) of ˜ 22 kV/cm and an improved remnant polarization ( P r) of ˜ 13 μC/cm2 for x = 0.020. A relaxor-like behavior with a frequency-dependent Curie temperature T m was observed, and a high T m around 320°C was obtained in the investigated system. This study suggests that the ferroelectric properties of BKT-BMT was significantly improved by means of Nb substitution. The possible shift of depolarization temperature T d toward high temperature T m may have triggered the spontaneous relaxor to ferroelectric phase transition with long-range ferroelectric order without any traces of a nonergodic relaxor state in contradiction with Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3-based systems. The possible enhancement in ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties near the critical composition x = 0.020 may be attributed to the increased anharmonicity of lattice vibrations which may facilitate the observed phase transition from a low-symmetry tetragonal to a high-symmetry cubic phase with a decrease in the lattice anisotropy of an undoped sample. This highly flexible (at a unit cell level) narrow compositional range triggers the enhancement of d 33 and P r values.

  2. Advantages and Challenges of Relaxor-PbTiO3 Ferroelectric Crystals for Electroacoustic Transducers- A Review.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Shujun; Li, Fei; Jiang, Xiaoning; Kim, Jinwook; Luo, Jun; Geng, Xuecang

    2015-03-01

    Relaxor-PbTiO 3 (PT) based ferroelectric crystals with the perovskite structure have been investigated over the last few decades due to their ultrahigh piezoelectric coefficients ( d 33 > 1500 pC/N) and electromechanical coupling factors ( k 33 > 90%), far outperforming state-of-the-art ferroelectric polycrystalline Pb(Zr,Ti)O 3 ceramics, and are at the forefront of advanced electroacoustic applications. In this review, the performance merits of relaxor-PT crystals in various electroacoustic devices are presented from a piezoelectric material viewpoint. Opportunities come from not only the ultrahigh properties, specifically coupling and piezoelectric coefficients, but through novel vibration modes and crystallographic/domain engineering. Figure of merits (FOMs) of crystals with various compositions and phases were established for various applications, including medical ultrasonic transducers, underwater transducers, acoustic sensors and tweezers. For each device application, recent developments in relaxor-PT ferroelectric crystals were surveyed and compared with state-of-the-art polycrystalline piezoelectrics, with an emphasis on their strong anisotropic features and crystallographic uniqueness, including engineered domain - property relationships. This review starts with an introduction on electroacoustic transducers and the history of piezoelectric materials. The development of the high performance relaxor-PT single crystals, with a focus on their uniqueness in transducer applications, is then discussed. In the third part, various FOMs of piezoelectric materials for a wide range of ultrasound applications, including diagnostic ultrasound, therapeutic ultrasound, underwater acoustic and passive sensors, tactile sensors and acoustic tweezers, are evaluated to provide a thorough understanding of the materials' behavior under operational conditions. Structure-property-performance relationships are then established. Finally, the impacts and challenges of relaxor

  3. Advantages and Challenges of Relaxor-PbTiO3 Ferroelectric Crystals for Electroacoustic Transducers- A Review

    PubMed Central

    Zhang, Shujun; Li, Fei; Jiang, Xiaoning; Kim, Jinwook; Luo, Jun; Geng, Xuecang

    2014-01-01

    Relaxor-PbTiO3 (PT) based ferroelectric crystals with the perovskite structure have been investigated over the last few decades due to their ultrahigh piezoelectric coefficients (d33 > 1500 pC/N) and electromechanical coupling factors (k33 > 90%), far outperforming state-of-the-art ferroelectric polycrystalline Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 ceramics, and are at the forefront of advanced electroacoustic applications. In this review, the performance merits of relaxor-PT crystals in various electroacoustic devices are presented from a piezoelectric material viewpoint. Opportunities come from not only the ultrahigh properties, specifically coupling and piezoelectric coefficients, but through novel vibration modes and crystallographic/domain engineering. Figure of merits (FOMs) of crystals with various compositions and phases were established for various applications, including medical ultrasonic transducers, underwater transducers, acoustic sensors and tweezers. For each device application, recent developments in relaxor-PT ferroelectric crystals were surveyed and compared with state-of-the-art polycrystalline piezoelectrics, with an emphasis on their strong anisotropic features and crystallographic uniqueness, including engineered domain - property relationships. This review starts with an introduction on electroacoustic transducers and the history of piezoelectric materials. The development of the high performance relaxor-PT single crystals, with a focus on their uniqueness in transducer applications, is then discussed. In the third part, various FOMs of piezoelectric materials for a wide range of ultrasound applications, including diagnostic ultrasound, therapeutic ultrasound, underwater acoustic and passive sensors, tactile sensors and acoustic tweezers, are evaluated to provide a thorough understanding of the materials’ behavior under operational conditions. Structure-property-performance relationships are then established. Finally, the impacts and challenges of relaxor

  4. Giant electromechanical coupling of relaxor ferroelectrics controlled by polar nanoregion vibrations

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Manley, Michael E.; Abernathy, Douglas L.; Sahul, Raffi

    Relaxor-based ferroelectrics are prized for their giant electromechanical coupling and have revolutionized sensor and ultrasound applications. A long-standing challenge for piezoelectric materials has been to understand how these ultrahigh electromechanical responses occur when the polar atomic displacements underlying the response are partially broken into polar nanoregions (PNRs) in relaxor-based ferroelectrics. Given the complex inhomogeneous nanostructure of these materials, it has generally been assumed that this enhanced response must involve complicated interactions. By using neutron scattering measurements of lattice dynamics and local structure, we show that the vibrational modes of the PNRs enable giant coupling by softening the underlying macrodomain polarizationmore » rotations in relaxor-based ferroelectric PMN-xPT {(1 x)[Pb(Mg 1/3Nb 2/3)O 3] xPbTiO 3} (x = 30%). The mechanism involves the collective motion of the PNRs with transverse acoustic phonons and results in two hybrid modes, one softer and one stiffer than the bare acoustic phonon. The softer mode is the origin of macroscopic shear softening. Furthermore, a PNR mode and a component of the local structure align in an electric field; this further enhances shear softening, revealing a way to tune the ultrahigh piezoelectric response by engineering elastic shear softening.« less

  5. Giant electromechanical coupling of relaxor ferroelectrics controlled by polar nanoregion vibrations

    PubMed Central

    Manley, Michael E.; Abernathy, Douglas L.; Sahul, Raffi; Parshall, Daniel E.; Lynn, Jeffrey W.; Christianson, Andrew D.; Stonaha, Paul J.; Specht, Eliot D.; Budai, John D.

    2016-01-01

    Relaxor-based ferroelectrics are prized for their giant electromechanical coupling and have revolutionized sensor and ultrasound applications. A long-standing challenge for piezoelectric materials has been to understand how these ultrahigh electromechanical responses occur when the polar atomic displacements underlying the response are partially broken into polar nanoregions (PNRs) in relaxor-based ferroelectrics. Given the complex inhomogeneous nanostructure of these materials, it has generally been assumed that this enhanced response must involve complicated interactions. By using neutron scattering measurements of lattice dynamics and local structure, we show that the vibrational modes of the PNRs enable giant coupling by softening the underlying macrodomain polarization rotations in relaxor-based ferroelectric PMN-xPT {(1 − x)[Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3] – xPbTiO3} (x = 30%). The mechanism involves the collective motion of the PNRs with transverse acoustic phonons and results in two hybrid modes, one softer and one stiffer than the bare acoustic phonon. The softer mode is the origin of macroscopic shear softening. Furthermore, a PNR mode and a component of the local structure align in an electric field; this further enhances shear softening, revealing a way to tune the ultrahigh piezoelectric response by engineering elastic shear softening. PMID:27652338

  6. Giant electromechanical coupling of relaxor ferroelectrics controlled by polar nanoregion vibrations

    DOE PAGES

    Manley, Michael E.; Abernathy, Douglas L.; Sahul, Raffi; ...

    2016-09-01

    Relaxor-based ferroelectrics are prized for their giant electromechanical coupling and have revolutionized sensor and ultrasound applications. A long-standing challenge for piezoelectric materials has been to understand how these ultrahigh electromechanical responses occur when the polar atomic displacements underlying the response are partially broken into polar nanoregions (PNRs) in relaxor-based ferroelectrics. Given the complex inhomogeneous nanostructure of these materials, it has generally been assumed that this enhanced response must involve complicated interactions. By using neutron scattering measurements of lattice dynamics and local structure, we show that the vibrational modes of the PNRs enable giant coupling by softening the underlying macrodomain polarizationmore » rotations in relaxor-based ferroelectric PMN-xPT {(1 x)[Pb(Mg 1/3Nb 2/3)O 3] xPbTiO 3} (x = 30%). The mechanism involves the collective motion of the PNRs with transverse acoustic phonons and results in two hybrid modes, one softer and one stiffer than the bare acoustic phonon. The softer mode is the origin of macroscopic shear softening. Furthermore, a PNR mode and a component of the local structure align in an electric field; this further enhances shear softening, revealing a way to tune the ultrahigh piezoelectric response by engineering elastic shear softening.« less

  7. Effect of dead layer and strain on diffuse phase transition of PLZT relaxor thin films.

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Tong, S.; Narayanan, M.; Ma, B.

    2011-02-01

    Bulk relaxor ferroelectrics exhibit excellent permittivity compared to their thin film counterpart, although both show diffuse phase transition (DPT) behavior unlike normal ferroelectrics. To better understand the effect of dead layer and strain on the observed anomaly in the dielectric properties, we have developed relaxor PLZT (lead lanthanum zirconate titanate) thin films with different thicknesses and measured their dielectric properties as a function of temperature and frequency. The effect of dead layer on thin film permittivity has been found to be independent of temperature and frequency, and is governed by the Schottky barrier between the platinum electrode and PLZT. Themore » total strain (thermal and intrinsic) in the film majorly determines the broadening, dielectric peak and temperature shift in the relaxor ferroelectric. The Curie-Weiss type law for relaxors has been further modified to incorporate these two effects to accurately predict the DPT behavior of thin film and bulk relaxor ferroelectrics. The dielectric behavior of thin film is predicted by using the bulk dielectric data from literature in the proposed equation, which agree well with the measured dielectric behavior.« less

  8. Lattice rotation vortex observed between polar nanoregions in relaxor-ferroelectric (1-x)Pb(Zn1/3Nb2/3) O3-xPbTiO3 single crystal

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shao, Yu-Tsun; Zuo, Jian-Min

    Domain walls (DWs) play a critical role in determining the polarization switching behavior in relaxor-based ferroelectric crystals. The domains in relaxor-ferroelectric crystals consist of polar nanoregions (PNRs) and their interface is poorly understood. Here, we report an energy-filtered (EF-) scanning convergent beam electron diffraction (SCBED) study for the identification of PNRs and determination of their interface. With the aid of electro dynamical diffraction simulation, nanometer-sized PNRs having monoclinic Pm (MC) symmetry in single crystal PZN- 8%PT were identified. Lattice rotation vortices having an average radius of 7 nm at the 50° DWs were revealed by maps of crystal orientations, domain configurations, symmetry breaking. Such measurements suggest the merging of 2D and 1D topological defects, with implications for domain-switching mechanisms in relaxor ferroelectric crystals. The interplay between polarization, charge, and strain degrees of freedom suggests a complex landscape of topological defects in ferroelectrics that may be explored for a new form of nanoscale ferroelectric devices. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

  9. Lattice-Rotation Vortex at the Charged Monoclinic Domain Boundary in a Relaxor Ferroelectric Crystal

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shao, Yu-Tsun; Zuo, Jian-Min

    2017-04-01

    We present evidence of lattice-rotation vortices having an average radius of ˜7 nm at the ferroelectric domain boundary of (1 -x )Pb (Zn1 /3Nb2 /3)O3-xPbTiO3 (x =0.08 ). Maps of crystal orientations and domain symmetry breaking are obtained using scanning convergent beam electron diffraction, which show fractional rotation vortices near the 50° monoclinic domain walls. The merging of 2D and 1D topological defects is consistent with inhomogeneous boundary charge and expected to have a large impact on the domain-switching mechanisms in relaxor ferroelectric crystals and ferroelectric devices.

  10. Diffuse scattering in relaxor ferroelectrics: true three-dimensional mapping, experimental artefacts and modelling.

    PubMed

    Bosak, A; Chernyshov, D; Vakhrushev, Sergey; Krisch, M

    2012-01-01

    The available body of experimental data in terms of the relaxor-specific component of diffuse scattering is critically analysed and a collection of related models is reviewed; the sources of experimental artefacts and consequent failures of modelling efforts are enumerated. Furthermore, it is shown that the widely used concept of polar nanoregions as individual static entities is incompatible with the experimental diffuse scattering results. Based on the synchrotron diffuse scattering three-dimensional data set taken for the prototypical ferroelectric relaxor lead magnesium niobate-lead titanate (PMN-PT), a new parameterization of diffuse scattering in relaxors is presented and a simple phenomenological picture is proposed to explain the unusual properties of the relaxor behaviour. The model assumes a specific slowly changing displacement pattern, which is indirectly controlled by the low-energy acoustic phonons of the system. The model provides a qualitative but rather detailed explanation of temperature, pressure and electric-field dependence of diffuse neutron and X-ray scattering, as well as of the existence of a hierarchy in the relaxation times of these materials.

  11. Characterizing new compositions of [001]C relaxor ferroelectric single crystals using a work-energy model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gallagher, John A.

    2016-04-01

    The desired operating range of ferroelectric materials with compositions near the morphotropic phase boundary is limited by field induced phase transformations. In [001]C cut and poled relaxor ferroelectric single crystals the mechanically driven ferroelectric rhombohedral to ferroelectric orthorhombic phase transformation is hindered by antagonistic electrical loading. Instability around the phase transformation makes the current experimental technique for characterization of the large field behavior very time consuming. Characterization requires specialized equipment and involves an extensive set of measurements under combined electrical, mechanical, and thermal loads. In this work a mechanism-based model is combined with a more limited set of experiments to obtain the same results. The model utilizes a work-energy criterion that calculates the mechanical work required to induce the transformation and the required electrical work that is removed to reverse the transformation. This is done by defining energy barriers to the transformation. The results of the combined experiment and modeling approach are compared to the fully experimental approach and error is discussed. The model shows excellent predictive capability and is used to substantially reduce the total number of experiments required for characterization. This decreases the time and resources required for characterization of new compositions.

  12. Relaxor-ferroelectric crossover in (B i1 /2K1 /2)Ti O3 : Origin of the spontaneous phase transition and the effect of an applied external field

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hagiwara, Manabu; Ehara, Yoshitaka; Novak, Nikola; Khansur, Neamul H.; Ayrikyan, Azatuhi; Webber, Kyle G.; Fujihara, Shinobu

    2017-07-01

    The temperature evolution of polar order in an A -site complex perovskite (B i1 /2K1 /2)Ti O3 (BKT) has been investigated by measurements of dielectric permittivity, depolarization current, and stress-stain curves at elevated temperatures. Upon cooling from high temperatures, BKT first enters a relaxor state and then spontaneously transforms into a ferroelectric state. The analyses of temperature and frequency dependence of permittivity have revealed that polar nanoregions of the relaxor phase appear at temperatures higher than 560°C, and also that their freezing at 296°C triggers the spontaneous relaxor-ferroelectric transition. We discuss the key factors determining the development of long-range polar order in A -site complex perovskites through a comparison with the relaxor (B i1 /2N a1 /2)Ti O3 . We also show that application of biasing electric fields and compressive stresses to BKT favors its ferroelectric phase, resulting in a significant shift of the relaxor-ferroelectric transition temperature towards higher temperatures. Based on the obtained results, electric field-temperature and stress-temperature phase diagrams are firstly determined for BKT.

  13. High Performance Relaxor-Based Ferroelectric Single Crystals for Ultrasonic Transducer Applications

    PubMed Central

    Chen, Yan; Lam, Kwok-Ho; Zhou, Dan; Yue, Qingwen; Yu, Yanxiong; Wu, Jinchuan; Qiu, Weibao; Sun, Lei; Zhang, Chao; Luo, Haosu; Chan, Helen L. W.; Dai, Jiyan

    2014-01-01

    Relaxor-based ferroelectric single crystals Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-PbTiO3 (PMN-PT) have drawn much attention in the ferroelectric field because of their excellent piezoelectric properties and high electromechanical coupling coefficients (d33∼2000 pC/N, kt∼60%) near the morphotropic phase boundary (MPB). Ternary Pb(In1/2Nb1/2)O3-Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-PbTiO3 (PIN-PMN-PT) single crystals also possess outstanding performance comparable with PMN-PT single crystals, but have higher phase transition temperatures (rhombohedral to tetragonal Trt, and tetragonal to cubic Tc) and larger coercive field Ec. Therefore, these relaxor-based single crystals have been extensively employed for ultrasonic transducer applications. In this paper, an overview of our work and perspectives on using PMN-PT and PIN-PMN-PT single crystals for ultrasonic transducer applications is presented. Various types of single-element ultrasonic transducers, including endoscopic transducers, intravascular transducers, high-frequency and high-temperature transducers fabricated using the PMN-PT and PIN-PMN-PT crystals and their 2-2 and 1-3 composites are reported. Besides, the fabrication and characterization of the array transducers, such as phased array, cylindrical shaped linear array, high-temperature linear array, radial endoscopic array, and annular array, are also addressed. PMID:25076222

  14. Electrocaloric effects in the lead-free Ba (Zr ,Ti )O3 relaxor ferroelectric from atomistic simulations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jiang, Zhijun; Prokhorenko, Sergei; Prosandeev, Sergey; Nahas, Y.; Wang, D.; Íñiguez, Jorge; Defay, E.; Bellaiche, L.

    2017-07-01

    Atomistic effective Hamiltonian simulations are used to investigate electrocaloric (EC) effects in the lead-free Ba (Zr0.5Ti0.5)O3 (BZT) relaxor ferroelectric. We find that the EC coefficient varies nonmonotonically with the field at any temperature, presenting a maximum that can be traced back to the behavior of BZT's polar nanoregions. We also introduce a simple Landau-based model that reproduces the EC behavior of BZT as a function of field and temperature, and which is directly applicable to other compounds. Finally, we confirm that, for low temperatures (i.e., in nonergodic conditions), the usual indirect approach to measure the EC response provides an estimate that differs quantitatively from a direct evaluation of the field-induced temperature change.

  15. Strong variation of electrostrictive coupling near an intermediate temperature of relaxor ferroelectrics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Craciun, F.

    2010-05-01

    A sudden increase in the electrostrictive coefficient Q13 when temperature decreases is seen in three different types of ferroelectric relaxors (PLZT 9/65/35, PLZT 22/20/80, and PMN-PT) starting from ˜50K above the dielectric permittivity maximum temperature, Tm . The temperature dependence is attributed to the softening of the quasilocal mode occurring near dopants or charge-transfer sites. The steep increase when the temperature decreases could be related to the transition of polar nanoregions from dynamic to quasistatic regime, which introduces an intermediate temperature scale T∗ [W. Dmowski, S. B. Vakhrushev, I.-K. Jeong, M. P. Hehlen, F. Trouw, and T. Egami, Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 137602 (2008); B. Dkhil, P. Gemeiner, A. Al-Barakaty, L. Bellaiche, E. Dul’kin, E. Mojaev, and M. Roth, Phys. Rev. B 80, 064103 (2009)], besides Burns temperature TB and freezing temperature Tf . Possible consequences for nonequilibrium phenomena, including high-temperature memory found in relaxors, are conjectured.

  16. High-resolution 2-D Bragg diffraction reveal heterogeneous domain transformation behavior in a bulk relaxor ferroelectric

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Pramanick, Abhijit, E-mail: apramani@cityu.edu.hk; Stoica, Alexandru D.; An, Ke

    2016-08-29

    In-situ measurement of fine-structure of neutron Bragg diffraction peaks from a relaxor single-crystal using a time-of-flight instrument reveals highly heterogeneous mesoscale domain transformation behavior under applied electric fields. It is observed that only ∼25% of domains undergo reorientation or phase transition contributing to large average strains, while at least 40% remain invariant and exhibit microstrains. Such insights could be central for designing new relaxor materials with better performance and longevity. The current experimental technique can also be applied to resolve complex mesoscale phenomena in other functional materials.

  17. High-resolution 2-D Bragg diffraction reveal heterogeneous domain transformation behavior in a bulk relaxor ferroelectric

    DOE PAGES

    Pramanick, Abhijit; Stoica, Alexandru D.; An, Ke

    2016-09-02

    In-situ measurement of fine-structure of neutron Bragg diffraction peaks from a relaxor single-crystal using a time-of-flight instrument reveals highly heterogeneous mesoscale domain transformation behavior under applied electric fields. We observed that only 25% of domains undergo reorienta- tion or phase transition contributing to large average strains, while at least 40% remain invariant and exhibit microstrains. Such insights could be central for designing new relaxor materials with better performance and longevity. The current experimental technique can also be applied to resolve com- plex mesoscale phenomena in other functional materials.

  18. A scaling law for distinct electrocaloric cooling performance in low-dimensional organic, relaxor and anti-ferroelectrics.

    PubMed

    Shi, Yuping; Huang, Limin; Soh, Ai Kah; Weng, George J; Liu, Shuangyi; Redfern, Simon A T

    2017-09-11

    Electrocaloric (EC) materials show promise in eco-friendly solid-state refrigeration and integrable on-chip thermal management. While direct measurement of EC thin-films still remains challenging, a generic theoretical framework for quantifying the cooling properties of rich EC materials including normal-, relaxor-, organic- and anti-ferroelectrics is imperative for exploiting new flexible and room-temperature cooling alternatives. Here, we present a versatile theory that combines Master equation with Maxwell relations and analytically relates the macroscopic cooling responses in EC materials with the intrinsic diffuseness of phase transitions and correlation characteristics. Under increased electric fields, both EC entropy and adiabatic temperature changes increase quadratically initially, followed by further linear growth and eventual gradual saturation. The upper bound of entropy change (∆S max ) is limited by distinct correlation volumes (V cr ) and transition diffuseness. The linearity between V cr and the transition diffuseness is emphasized, while ∆S max  = 300 kJ/(K.m 3 ) is obtained for Pb 0.8 Ba 0.2 ZrO 3 . The ∆S max in antiferroelectric Pb 0.95 Zr 0.05 TiO 3 , Pb 0.8 Ba 0.2 ZrO 3 and polymeric ferroelectrics scales proportionally with V cr -2.2 , owing to the one-dimensional structural constraint on lattice-scale depolarization dynamics; whereas ∆S max in relaxor and normal ferroelectrics scales as ∆S max ~ V cr -0.37 , which tallies with a dipolar interaction exponent of 2/3 in EC materials and the well-proven fractional dimensionality of 2.5 for ferroelectric domain walls.

  19. Strong anisotropy of electric field effects on uniaxial relaxor ferroelectric Sr0.75Ba0.25Nb2O6 crystals proved by acoustic emission

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dul'kin, E.; Kojima, S.; Roth, M.

    2018-01-01

    [001] oriented Sr0.75Ba0.25Nb2O6 uniaxial relaxor ferroelectric crystals have been studied by acoustic emission in the temperature range of 20÷200 °C and under an external electric field up to 1 kV/cm. Under the application of an electric field the temperature of a dielectric maximum exhibits a nontrivial behavior: it remains constant at first, secondly steep decreases down to some threshold field, and thirdly starts to increase as a field enhances, whereas the same temperature of a dielectric maximum under a bias electric field to [100] oriented Sr0.75Ba0.25Nb2O6 crystals exhibits a smoothed minimum before the start to increase as a field enhances (E. Dul'kin et al., J. Appl. Phys. 110, 044106 (2011)). Such a difference of electric field effects in c- and a-cut crystals is discussed from the viewpoint of random-bond-random-field model of relaxor ferroelectrics. By the comparison between experimental and theoretical data, a dipole moment of the PNR was estimated to be 0.1 (C cm).

  20. Relaxor ferroelectricity and electric-field-driven structural transformation in the giant lead-free piezoelectric (Ba ,Ca ) (Ti ,Zr ) O3

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brajesh, Kumar; Tanwar, Khagesh; Abebe, Mulualem; Ranjan, Rajeev

    2015-12-01

    There is great interest in lead-free (B a0.85C a0.15 ) (T i0.90Z r0.10 ) O3 (15/10BCTZ) because of its exceptionally large piezoelectric response [Liu and Ren, Phys. Rev. Lett. 103, 257602 (2009), 10.1103/PhysRevLett.103.257602]. In this paper, we have analyzed the nature of: (i) crystallographic phase coexistence at room temperature, (ii) temperature- and field-induced phase transformation to throw light on the atomistic mechanisms associated with the large piezoelectric response of this system. A detailed temperature-dependent dielectric and lattice thermal expansion study proved that the system exhibits a weak dielectric relaxation, characteristic of a relaxor ferroelectric material on the verge of exhibiting a normal ferroelectric-paraelectric transformation. Careful structural analysis revealed that a ferroelectric state at room temperature is composed of three phase coexistences, tetragonal (P 4 m m )+ orthorhombic(Amm 2 )+rhombohedral(R 3 m ) . We also demonstrate that the giant piezoresponse is associated with a significant fraction of the tetragonal phase transforming to rhombohedral. It is argued that the polar nanoregions associated with relaxor ferroelectricity amplify the piezoresponse by providing an additional degree of intrinsic structural inhomogeneity to the system.

  1. Study of the structure and dielectric relaxation behavior of Pb(Ni 1/3Nb 2/3)-PbTiO 3 ferroelectric ceramics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lei, Chao; Chen, Kepi; Zhang, Xiaowen; Wang, Jun

    2002-08-01

    Relaxor-type ferroelectric ceramics, (1- x)Pb(Ni 1/3Nb 2/3)O 3- xPbTiO 3 ( x=0.28-0.42) were synthesized by the columbite precursor method. The phase structure and dielectric properties were investigated. X-ray diffraction results demonstrate that a region with both pseudocubic and tetragonal phase in existence lies in the composition range x=0.34-0.38, which is the morphotropic phase boundary (MPB). Examination of the dielectric behavior indicates that the ceramics exhibit abnormal high dielectric constant near the MPB composition. In addition, the transformation of (1- x)PNN- xPT from relaxor to normal ferroelectric behavior with the PT content increasing is successive.

  2. Bandgap behavior and singularity of the domain-induced light scattering through the pressure-induced ferroelectric transition in relaxor ferroelectric AxBa1-xNb2O6 (A: Sr,Ca)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ruiz-Fuertes, J.; Gomis, O.; Segura, A.; Bettinelli, M.; Burianek, M.; Mühlberg, M.

    2018-01-01

    In this letter, we have investigated the electronic structure of AxBa1-xNb2O6 relaxor ferroelectrics on the basis of optical absorption spectroscopy in unpoled single crystals with A = Sr and Ca under high pressure. The direct character of the fundamental transition could be established by fitting Urbach's rule to the photon energy dependence of the absorption edge yielding bandgaps of 3.44(1) eV and 3.57(1) eV for A = Sr and Ca, respectively. The light scattering by ferroelectric domains in the pre-edge spectral range has been studied as a function of composition and pressure. After confirming with x-ray diffraction the occurrence of the previously observed ferroelectric to paraelelectric phase transition at 4 GPa, the light scattering produced by micro- and nano-ferroelectric domains at 3.3 eV in Ca0.28Ba0.72Nb2O6 has been probed. The direct bandgap remains virtually constant under compression with a drop of only 0.01 eV around the phase transition. Interestingly, we have also found that light scattering by the polar nanoregions in the paraelectric phase is comparable to the dispersion due to ferroelectric microdomains in the ferroelectric state. Finally, we have obtained that the bulk modulus of the ferroelectric phase of Ca0.28Ba0.72Nb2O6 is B0 = 222(9) GPa.

  3. Relaxor ferroelectricity, ferromagnetic and optical second harmonic properties in lanthanum lithium niobate (La0.05Li0.85NbO3) nanoparticles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Díaz-Moreno, Carlos A.; Ding, Yu; Li, Chunqiang; Portelles, Jorge; Heiras, J.; Hurtado-Macias, A.; Farias, J. R.; González-Hernández, J.; Yacamán, M. J.; López, Jorge

    2017-07-01

    Relaxor ferroelectricity, ferromagnetism and Second Harmonic Generation properties were founded and studied as a function of a reduction heat treatment at 650 °C in a Ar-5%H2 atmosphere in stoichiometric La0.05Li0.85NbO3 nanoparticles of 40 nm. A diffuse dielectric anomaly related with relaxor behavior from 25 °C to 800 °C in a frequency range from 100 Hz to 1 MHz was founded. It also shows ferromagnetic anhysterestic type and ferroelectric hysteresis loops at room temperature with a magnetic spin remnant of 2.5 × 10-3 emu/g and polarization saturation of 0.235 μC/cm2, remnant polarization of 0.141 μC/cm2, coercive field of 1.35 kV/cm, respectively. It shows very good second harmonic generation signal at 450 nm and 500 nm. High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy, X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy, indicate an ABO3 perovskite structure, new electronic binding energy structure for La (5s, 4d), Li (1s), Nb (4s, 3d, 4p) and oxygen (1s, 2s) and new vibrations modes on octahedron NbO6 related to multiferroic single phase nanoparticles, respectively.

  4. Relaxor properties of barium titanate crystals grown by Remeika method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Roth, Michel; Tiagunov, Jenia; Dul'kin, Evgeniy; Mojaev, Evgeny

    2017-06-01

    Barium titanate (BaTiO3, BT) crystals have been grown by the Remeika method using both the regular KF and mixed KF-NaF (0.6-0.4) solvents. Typical acute angle "butterfly wing" BT crystals have been obtained, and they were characterized using x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy (including energy dispersive spectroscopy), conventional dielectric and acoustic emission methods. A typical wing has a triangular plate shape which is up to 0.5 mm thick with a 10-15 mm2 area. The plate has a (001) habit and an atomically smooth outer surface. Both K+ and F- solvent ions are incorporated as dopants into the crystal lattice during growth substituting for Ba2+ and O2- ions respectively. The dopants' distribution is found to be inhomogeneous, their content being almost an order of magnitude higher (up to 2 mol%) at out surface of the plate relatively to the bulk. A few μm thick surface layer is formed where a multidomain ferroelectric net is confined between two≤1 μm thick dopant-rich surfaces. The layer as a whole possess relaxor ferroelectric properties, which is apparent from the appearance of additional broad maxima, Tm, in the temperature dependence of the dielectric permittivity around the ferroelectric phase transition. Intense acoustic emission responses detected at temperatures corresponding to the Tm values allow to observe the Tm shift to lower temperatures at higher frequencies, or dispersion, typical for relaxor ferroelectrics. The outer surface of the BT wing can thus serve as a relaxor thin film for various electronic application, such as capacitors, or as a substrate for BT-based multiferroic structure. Crystals grown from KF-NaF fluxes contain sodium atoms as an additional impurity, but the crystal yield is much smaller, and while the ferroelectric transition peak is diffuse it does not show any sign of dispersion typical for relaxor behavior.

  5. Slush-like polar structures in single-crystal relaxors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Takenaka, Hiroyuki; Grinberg, Ilya; Liu, Shi; Rappe, Andrew M.

    2017-06-01

    Despite more than 50 years of investigation, it is still unclear how the underlying structure of relaxor ferroelectrics gives rise to their defining properties, such as ultrahigh piezoelectric coefficients, high permittivity over a broad temperature range, diffuse phase transitions, strong frequency dependence in dielectric response, and phonon anomalies. The model of polar nanoregions inside a non-polar matrix has been widely used to describe the structure of relaxor ferroelectrics. However, the lack of precise knowledge about the shapes, growth and dipole patterns of polar nanoregions has led to the characterization of relaxors as “hopeless messes”, and no predictive model for relaxor behaviour is currently available. Here we use molecular dynamics simulations of the prototypical Pb(Mg1/3,Nb2/3)O3-PbTiO3 relaxor material to examine its structure and the spatial and temporal polarization correlations. Our simulations show that the unusual properties of relaxors stem from the presence of a multi-domain state with extremely small domain sizes (2-10 nanometres), and no non-polar matrix, owing to the local dynamics. We find that polar structures in the multi-domain state in relaxors are analogous to those of the slush state of water. The multi-domain structure of relaxors that is revealed by our molecular dynamics simulations is consistent with recent experimental diffuse scattering results and indicates that relaxors have a high density of low-angle domain walls. This insight explains the recently discovered classes of relaxors that cannot be described by the polar nanoregion model, and provides guidance for the design and synthesis of new relaxor materials.

  6. Relaxor-based ferroelectric single crystals: growth, domain engineering, characterization and applications

    PubMed Central

    Sun, Enwei; Cao, Wenwu

    2014-01-01

    In the past decade, domain engineered relaxor-PT ferroelectric single crystals, including (1-x)Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-xPbTiO3 (PMN-PT), (1-x)Pb(Zn1/3Nb2/3)O3-xPbTiO3 (PZN-PT) and (1-x-y)Pb(In1/2Nb1/2)O3-yPb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-xPbTiO3 (PIN-PMN-PT), with compositions near the morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) have triggered a revolution in electromechanical devices owing to their giant piezoelectric properties and ultra-high electromechanical coupling factors. Compared to traditional PbZr1-xTixO3 (PZT) ceramics, the piezoelectric coefficient d33 is increased by a factor of 5 and the electromechanical coupling factor k33 is increased from < 70% to > 90%. Many emerging rich physical phenomena, such as charged domain walls, multi-phase coexistence, domain pattern symmetries, etc., have posed challenging fundamental questions for scientists. The superior electromechanical properties of these domain engineered single crystals have prompted the design of a new generation electromechanical devices, including sensors, transducers, actuators and other electromechanical devices, with greatly improved performance. It took less than 7 years from the discovery of larger size PMN-PT single crystals to the commercial production of the high-end ultrasonic imaging probe “PureWave”. The speed of development is unprecedented, and the research collaboration between academia and industrial engineers on this topic is truly intriguing. It is also exciting to see that these relaxor-PT single crystals are being used to replace traditional PZT piezoceramics in many new fields outside of medical imaging. The new ternary PIN-PMN-PT single crystals, particularly the ones with Mn-doping, have laid a solid foundation for innovations in high power acoustic projectors and ultrasonic motors, hinting another revolution in underwater SONARs and miniature actuation devices. This article intends to provide a comprehensive review on the development of relaxor-PT single crystals, spanning material discovery

  7. Relaxor-based ferroelectric single crystals: growth, domain engineering, characterization and applications.

    PubMed

    Sun, Enwei; Cao, Wenwu

    2014-08-01

    In the past decade, domain engineered relaxor-PT ferroelectric single crystals, including (1- x )Pb(Mg 1/3 Nb 2/3 )O 3 - x PbTiO 3 (PMN-PT), (1- x )Pb(Zn 1/3 Nb 2/3 )O 3 - x PbTiO 3 (PZN-PT) and (1- x - y )Pb(In 1/2 Nb 1/2 )O 3 - y Pb(Mg 1/3 Nb 2/3 )O 3 - x PbTiO 3 (PIN-PMN-PT), with compositions near the morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) have triggered a revolution in electromechanical devices owing to their giant piezoelectric properties and ultra-high electromechanical coupling factors. Compared to traditional PbZr 1- x Ti x O 3 (PZT) ceramics, the piezoelectric coefficient d 33 is increased by a factor of 5 and the electromechanical coupling factor k 33 is increased from < 70% to > 90%. Many emerging rich physical phenomena, such as charged domain walls, multi-phase coexistence, domain pattern symmetries, etc., have posed challenging fundamental questions for scientists. The superior electromechanical properties of these domain engineered single crystals have prompted the design of a new generation electromechanical devices, including sensors, transducers, actuators and other electromechanical devices, with greatly improved performance. It took less than 7 years from the discovery of larger size PMN-PT single crystals to the commercial production of the high-end ultrasonic imaging probe "PureWave". The speed of development is unprecedented, and the research collaboration between academia and industrial engineers on this topic is truly intriguing. It is also exciting to see that these relaxor-PT single crystals are being used to replace traditional PZT piezoceramics in many new fields outside of medical imaging. The new ternary PIN-PMN-PT single crystals, particularly the ones with Mn-doping, have laid a solid foundation for innovations in high power acoustic projectors and ultrasonic motors, hinting another revolution in underwater SONARs and miniature actuation devices. This article intends to provide a comprehensive review on the development of relaxor

  8. Role of random electric fields in relaxors

    PubMed Central

    Phelan, Daniel; Stock, Christopher; Rodriguez-Rivera, Jose A.; Chi, Songxue; Leão, Juscelino; Long, Xifa; Xie, Yujuan; Bokov, Alexei A.; Ye, Zuo-Guang; Ganesh, Panchapakesan; Gehring, Peter M.

    2014-01-01

    PbZr1–xTixO3 (PZT) and Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)1–xTixO3 (PMN-xPT) are complex lead-oxide perovskites that display exceptional piezoelectric properties for pseudorhombohedral compositions near a tetragonal phase boundary. In PZT these compositions are ferroelectrics, but in PMN-xPT they are relaxors because the dielectric permittivity is frequency dependent and exhibits non-Arrhenius behavior. We show that the nanoscale structure unique to PMN-xPT and other lead-oxide perovskite relaxors is absent in PZT and correlates with a greater than 100% enhancement of the longitudinal piezoelectric coefficient in PMN-xPT relative to that in PZT. By comparing dielectric, structural, lattice dynamical, and piezoelectric measurements on PZT and PMN-xPT, two nearly identical compounds that represent weak and strong random electric field limits, we show that quenched (static) random fields establish the relaxor phase and identify the order parameter. PMID:24449912

  9. Ferroelectric relaxor behaviour and impedance spectroscopy of Bi2O3-doped barium zirconium titanate ceramics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mahajan, Sandeep; Thakur, O P; Bhattacharya, D K; Sreenivas, K

    2009-03-01

    Bi2O3-doped barium zirconate titanate ceramics, Ba1-xBix(Zr0.05Ti0.95)O3, have been prepared by the conventional solid-state reaction method. The ferroelectric relaxor behaviour and dielectric properties have been investigated in detail. By XRD analysis, it is suggested that up to x = 0.04, Bi3+ substitutes A-site ion, and thereafter with higher Bi3+ content, it enters the B-site sub lattice. Substitution of Bi3+ ions induces ferroelectric relaxor behaviour and the degree of relaxation behaviour increases with bismuth concentration. The remanent polarization and strain behaviour show a slight increase with the substitution level. The degree of hysteresis (strain versus electric field) also reduces from 21.4% to 4.6% with bismuth substitution. Impedance measurements were made on the prepared sample over a wide range of temperatures (300-723 K) and frequencies (40 Hz-1 MHz), which show the presence of both bulk and grain boundary effects in the material. The bulk and grain boundary conductivities determined from impedance study indicate the Arrhenius-type thermally activated process. Impedance spectroscopy is shown to be an efficient method capable of detecting the contributions of the resistances of grains and grain boundaries to the complex impedance of a ceramic system, accurately estimating its electrical conductivity as well as its corresponding activation energies and drawing conclusions on its structural properties.

  10. Complete stress-induced depolarization of relaxor ferroelectric crystals without transition through a non-polar phase

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shkuratov, Sergey I.; Baird, Jason; Antipov, Vladimir G.; Hackenberger, Wesley; Luo, Jun; Zhang, Shujun; Lynch, Christopher S.; Chase, Jay B.; Jo, Hwan R.; Roberts, Christopher C.

    2018-03-01

    The development of relaxor ferroelectric single crystal technology is driven by the ability to tailor ferroelectric properties through domain engineering not achievable in polycrystalline materials. In this study, three types of domain-engineered rhombohedral Pb(In1/2Nb1/2)O3-Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-PbTiO3 crystals were subjected to transverse high strain rate loading. The experimental results indicate that the domain configuration has a significant effect on the stress-induced depolarization and the associated charge released. A complete depolarization of the single-domain crystals with 3m symmetry is observed, while multidomain crystals with 4mm and mm2 symmetries retain a fraction of their initial remanent polarization. The complete depolarization of single-domain crystals is unique without transition to a non-polar phase, with a stress-induced charge density of 0.48 C/m2. This is up to three times higher than that of the multidomain crystals and PbZrxTi1-xO3 ferroelectric ceramics that are critical for ultrahigh-power transducer applications. The main offering of this work is to propose a detailed mechanism for complete stress-induced depolarization in ferroelectric crystals which does not involve an intermediate transformation to a non-polar phase.

  11. Martensitelike spontaneous relaxor-normal ferroelectric transformation in Pb(Zn1/3Nb2/3)O3-PbLa(ZrTi)O3 system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Deng, Guochu; Ding, Aili; Li, Guorong; Zheng, Xinsen; Cheng, Wenxiu; Qiu, Pingsun; Yin, Qingrui

    2005-11-01

    The spontaneous relaxor-normal ferroelectric transformation was found in the tetragonal composition of Pb(Zn1/3Nb2/3)O3-PbLa(ZrTi)O3 (0.3PZN-0.7PLZT) complex ABO3 system. The corresponding dielectric permittivities and losses of different compositions located near the morphotrophic phase boundary were analyzed. By reviewing all of the results about this type of transformation in previous references, the electric, compositional, structural, and thermodynamic characteristics of the spontaneous relaxor-normal transformation were proposed. Additionally, the adaptive phase model for martensite transformation proposed by Khachaturyan et al. [Phys. Rev. B 43, 10832 (1991)] was introduced into this ferroelectric transformation to explain the unique transformation pathway and associated features such as the tweedlike domain patterns and the dielectric dispersion under the critical transition temperature. Due to the critical compositions near the MPB, the ferroelectric materials just fulfill the condition, in which the adaptive phases can form in the transformation procedure. The formation of the adaptive phases, which are composed of stress-accommodating twinned domains, makes the system bypass the energy barrier encountered in conventional martensite transformations. The twinned adaptive phase corresponds to the tweedlike domain pattern under a transmission electronic microscope. At lower temperature, these precursor phases transform into the conventional ferroelectric state with macrodomains by the movement of domain walls, which causes a weak dispersion in dielectric permittivity.

  12. Facilitation of Ferroelectric Switching via Mechanical Manipulation of Hierarchical Nanoscale Domain Structures.

    PubMed

    Chen, Zibin; Hong, Liang; Wang, Feifei; Ringer, Simon P; Chen, Long-Qing; Luo, Haosu; Liao, Xiaozhou

    2017-01-06

    Heterogeneous ferroelastic transition that produces hierarchical 90° tetragonal nanodomains via mechanical loading and its effect on facilitating ferroelectric domain switching in relaxor-based ferroelectrics were explored. Combining in situ electron microscopy characterization and phase-field modeling, we reveal the nature of the transition process and discover that the transition lowers by 40% the electrical loading threshold needed for ferroelectric domain switching. Our results advance the fundamental understanding of ferroelectric domain switching behavior.

  13. Anisotropic phonon coupling in the relaxor ferroelectric (Na1/2Bi1/2)TiO3 near its high-temperature phase transition

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cai, Ling; Toulouse, Jean; Luo, Haosu; Tian, Wei

    2014-08-01

    The lead free relaxor Na1/2Bi1/2TiO3 (NBT) undergoes a structural cubic-to-tetragonal transition near 800 K which is caused by the cooperative rotations of O6 octahedra. These rotations are also accompanied by the displacements of the cations and the formation of the polar nanodomains (PNDs) that are responsible for the characteristic dielectric dispersion of relaxor ferroelectrics. Because of their intrinsic properties, spontaneous polarization, and lack of inversion symmetry, these PNDs are also piezoelectric and can mediate an interaction between polarization and strain or couple the optic and acoustic phonons. Because PNDs introduce a local tetragonal symmetry, the phonon coupling they mediate is found to be anisotropic. In this paper we present inelastic neutron scattering results on coupled transverse acoustic (TA) and transverse optic (TO) phonons in the [110] and [001] directions and across the cubic-tetragonal phase transition at TC˜800 K. The phonon spectra are analyzed using a mode coupling model. In the [110] direction, as in other relaxors and some ferroelectric perovskites, a precipitous drop of the TO phonon into the TA branch or "waterfall" is observed at a certain qwf˜0.14 r.l.u. In the [001] direction, the highly overdamped line shape can be fitted with closely positioned bare mode energies which are largely overlapping along the dispersion curves. Two competing lattice coupling mechanism are proposed to explain these observations.

  14. Relaxor-like ferroelectric behaviour favoured by short-range B-site ordering in 10% Ba{sup 2+} substituted MgFe{sub 2}O{sub 4}

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Chithra Lekha, P.; Ramesh, G.; Revathi, V.

    2014-05-01

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Mechanism driving polarization in MgFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} is the Maxwell–Wagner polarization. • But Raman studies confirm the existence of local P4{sub 1}22/P4{sub 3}22 symmetry in MgFe{sub 2}O{sub 4}. • Ba{sup 2+} substitution increases ferroelectric ordering, ΔT{sub m} span, and masks electronic contribution. - Abstract: Using the molten salt method, pristine and Ba{sup 2+} substituted MgFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} are prepared. The relaxor-like behaviour observed in the dielectric dispersion indicates the existence of B-site short-range ordering with the local P4{sub 1}22/P4{sub 3}22 symmetry which is confirmed by the Raman spectroscopy. The paper further analyses the origin ofmore » polarization using Maxwell–Wagner fit and Nyquist plot. This work suggests a possible way to increase the relaxor-like ferroelectric ordering, larger span of relaxation temperature (ΔT{sub m}) and the effective masking of electronic contribution by the substitution of Ba{sup 2+} ion.« less

  15. Ultrahigh energy density harvested from domain-engineered relaxor ferroelectric single crystals under high strain rate loading

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shkuratov, Sergey I.; Baird, Jason; Antipov, Vladimir G.; Talantsev, Evgueni F.; Chase, Jay B.; Hackenberger, Wesley; Luo, Jun; Jo, Hwan R.; Lynch, Christopher S.

    2017-04-01

    Relaxor ferroelectric single crystals have triggered revolution in electromechanical systems due to their superior piezoelectric properties. Here the results are reported on experimental studies of energy harvested from (1-y-x)Pb(In1/2Nb1/2)O3-(y)Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-(x)PbTiO3 (PIN-PMN-PT) crystals under high strain rate loading. Precise control of ferroelectric properties through composition, size and crystallographic orientation of domains made it possible to identify single crystals that release up to three times more electric charge density than that produced by PbZr0.52Ti0.48O3 (PZT 52/48) and PbZr0.95Ti0.05O3 (PZT 95/5) ferroelectric ceramics under identical loading conditions. The obtained results indicate that PIN-PMN-PT crystals became completely depolarized under 3.9 GPa compression. It was found that the energy density generated in the crystals during depolarization in the high voltage mode is four times higher than that for PZT 52/48 and 95/5. The obtained results promise new single crystal applications in ultrahigh-power transducers that are capable of producing hundreds kilovolt pulses and gigawatt-peak power microwave radiation.

  16. Ultrahigh energy density harvested from domain-engineered relaxor ferroelectric single crystals under high strain rate loading

    PubMed Central

    Shkuratov, Sergey I.; Baird, Jason; Antipov, Vladimir G.; Talantsev, Evgueni F.; Chase, Jay B.; Hackenberger, Wesley; Luo, Jun; Jo, Hwan R.; Lynch, Christopher S.

    2017-01-01

    Relaxor ferroelectric single crystals have triggered revolution in electromechanical systems due to their superior piezoelectric properties. Here the results are reported on experimental studies of energy harvested from (1-y-x)Pb(In1/2Nb1/2)O3–(y)Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3–(x)PbTiO3 (PIN-PMN-PT) crystals under high strain rate loading. Precise control of ferroelectric properties through composition, size and crystallographic orientation of domains made it possible to identify single crystals that release up to three times more electric charge density than that produced by PbZr0.52Ti0.48O3 (PZT 52/48) and PbZr0.95Ti0.05O3 (PZT 95/5) ferroelectric ceramics under identical loading conditions. The obtained results indicate that PIN-PMN-PT crystals became completely depolarized under 3.9 GPa compression. It was found that the energy density generated in the crystals during depolarization in the high voltage mode is four times higher than that for PZT 52/48 and 95/5. The obtained results promise new single crystal applications in ultrahigh-power transducers that are capable of producing hundreds kilovolt pulses and gigawatt-peak power microwave radiation. PMID:28440336

  17. Re-entrant relaxor behavior of Ba{sub 5}RTi{sub 3}Nb{sub 7}O{sub 30} (R = La, Nd, Sm) tungsten bronze ceramics

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Li, Kun; Li Zhu, Xiao; Qiang Liu, Xiao

    2013-03-18

    Ba{sub 5}RTi{sub 3}Nb{sub 7}O{sub 30} (R = La, Nd, Sm) tungsten bronze ceramics were prepared, and the dielectric and ferroelectric properties were investigated over a broad temperature range. The relaxor nature was determined for all compositions in their permittivity curves, and a second anomaly of the dielectric loss (tan {delta}) was observed around 250 K in Ba{sub 5}NdTi{sub 3}Nb{sub 7}O{sub 30} and around 275 K in Ba{sub 5}SmTi{sub 3}Nb{sub 7}O{sub 30}. Both the maximum and remanent polarization tended to decrease and vanish at low temperatures in the ferroelectric phase for all compositions, which was referred to as the low temperaturemore » re-entrant relaxor behavior. The remanent polarization increased with decreasing temperature first and then reached the maximum value at the re-entrant temperature (T{sub r}). For Ba{sub 5}RTi{sub 3}Nb{sub 7}O{sub 30} (R = La, Nd, Sm), T{sub r} decreased with the radius of R{sup 3+} cations and the applied field amplitude.« less

  18. Piezoresponse force microscopy of ferroelectric relaxors =

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kiselev, Dmitry

    Nesta tese, ferroelectricos relaxor (I dont know uf the order is correct) de base Pb das familias (Pb,La)(Zr,Ti)O3 (PLZT), Pb(Mg1/3,Nb2/3)O3-PbTiO3 (PMN-PT), Pb(Zn1/3,Nb2/3)O3-PbTiO3 (PZN-PT) foram investigados e analisados. As propriedades ferroelectricas e dielectricas das amostras foram estudadas por metodos convencionais de macro e localmente por microscopia de forca piezoelectrica (PFM). Nos cerâmicos PLZT 9.75/65/35 o contraste da PFM a escala nanometrica foi investigado em funcao do tamanho e orientacao dos graos. Apurou-se que a intensidade do sinal piezoelectrico das nanoestruturas diminui com o aumento da temperatura e desaparece a 490 K (La mol. 8%) e 420 K (9,5%). Os ciclos de histerese locais foram obtidos em funcao da temperatura. A evolucao dos parâmetros macroscopicos e locais com a temperatura de superficie sugere um forte efeito de superficie nas transicoes de fase ferroelectricas do material investigado. A rugosidade da parede de dominio e determinada por PFM para a estrutura de dominio natural existente neste ferroelectrico policristalino. Alem disso, os dominios ferroelectricos artificiais foram criados pela aplicacao de pulsos electricos a ponta do condutor PFM e o tamanho de dominio in-plane foi medido em funcao da duracao do pulso. Todas estas experiencias levaram a conclusao de que a parede de dominio em relaxors do tipo PZT e quase uma interface unidimensional. O mecanismo de contraste na superficie de relaxors do tipo PLZT e medido por PFMAs estruturas de dominio versus evolucao da profundidade foram estudadas em cristais PZN-4,5%PT, com diferentes orientacoes atraves da PFM. Padroes de dominio irregulares com tamanhos tipicos de 20-100 nm foram observados nas superficies com orientacao das amostras unpoled?. Pelo contrario, os cortes de cristal exibem dominios regulares de tamanho micron normal, com os limites do dominio orientados ao longo dos planos cristalograficos permitidos. A existencia de nanodominios em cristais com orientacao

  19. Giant room-temperature electrostrictive coefficients in lead-free relaxor ferroelectric ceramics by compositional tuning

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ullah, Aman; Gul, Hafiza Bushra; Ullah, Amir; Sheeraz, Muhammad; Bae, Jong-Seong; Jo, Wook; Ahn, Chang Won; Kim, Ill Won; Kim, Tae Heon

    2018-01-01

    A thermotropic phase boundary between non-ergodic and ergodic relaxor phases is tuned in lead-free Bi1/2Na1/2TiO3-based ceramics through a structural transition driven by compositional modification (usually named as "morphotropic approach"). The substitution of Bi(Ni1/2Ti1/2)O3 for Bi1/2(Na0.78K0.22)1/2TiO3 induces a transition from tetragonal to "metrically" cubic phase and thereby, the ergodic relaxor ferroelectric phase becomes predominant at room temperature. A shift of the transition temperature (denoted as TF-R) in the non-ergodic-to-ergodic phase transition is corroborated via temperature-dependent dielectric permittivity and loss measurements. By monitoring the chemical composition dependence of polarization-electric field and strain-electric field hysteresis loops, it is possible to track the critical concentration of Bi(Ni1/2Ti1/2)O3 where the (1 - x)Bi0.5(Na0.78K0.22)0.5TiO3-xBi(Ni0.5Ti0.5)O3 ceramic undergoes the phase transition around room temperature. At the Bi(Ni0.5Ti0.5)O3 content of x = 0.050, the highest room-temperature electrostrictive coefficient of 0.030 m4/C2 is achieved with no hysteretic characteristic, which can foster the realization of actual electrostrictive devices with high operational efficiency at room temperature.

  20. Controlling dielectric and relaxor-ferroelectric properties for energy storage by tuning Pb0.92La0.08Zr0.52Ti0.48O3 film thickness.

    PubMed

    Brown, Emery; Ma, Chunrui; Acharya, Jagaran; Ma, Beihai; Wu, Judy; Li, Jun

    2014-12-24

    The energy storage properties of Pb0.92La0.08Zr0.52Ti0.48O3 (PLZT) films grown via pulsed laser deposition were evaluated at variable film thickness of 125, 250, 500, and 1000 nm. These films show high dielectric permittivity up to ∼1200. Cyclic I-V measurements were used to evaluate the dielectric properties of these thin films, which not only provide the total electric displacement, but also separate contributions from each of the relevant components including electric conductivity (D1), dielectric capacitance (D2), and relaxor-ferroelectric domain switching polarization (P). The results show that, as the film thickness increases, the material transits from a linear dielectric to nonlinear relaxor-ferroelectric. While the energy storage per volume increases with the film thickness, the energy storage efficiency drops from ∼80% to ∼30%. The PLZT films can be optimized for different energy storage applications by tuning the film thickness to optimize between the linear and nonlinear dielectric properties and energy storage efficiency.

  1. Controlling Dielectric and Relaxor-Ferroelectric Properties for Energy Storage by Tuning Pb 0.92La 0.08Zr 0.52Ti 0.48O 3 Film Thickness

    DOE PAGES

    Brown, Emery; Ma, Chunrui; Acharya, Jagaran; ...

    2014-12-24

    The energy storage properties of Pb 0.92La 0.08Zr 0.52Ti 0.48O 3 (PLZT) films grown via pulsed laser deposition were evaluated at variable film thickness of 125, 250, 500, and 1000 nm. These films show high dielectric permittivity up to ~1200. Cyclic I–V measurements were used to evaluate the dielectric properties of these thin films, which not only provide the total electric displacement, but also separate contributions from each of the relevant components including electric conductivity (D1), dielectric capacitance (D2), and relaxor-ferroelectric domain switching polarization (P). Our results show that, as the film thickness increases, the material transits from a linearmore » dielectric to nonlinear relaxor-ferroelectric. And while the energy storage per volume increases with the film thickness, the energy storage efficiency drops from ~80% to ~30%. The PLZT films can be optimized for different energy storage applications by tuning the film thickness to optimize between the linear and nonlinear dielectric properties and energy storage efficiency.« less

  2. Giant Magnetoelectric Energy Conversion Utilizing Inter-Ferroelectric Phase Transformations in Ferroics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Finkel, Peter; Staruch, Margo

    Phase transition-based electromechanical transduction permits achieving a non-resonant broadband mechanical energy conversion see (Finkel et al Actuators, 5 [1] 2. (2015)) , the idea is based on generation high energy density per cycle , at least 100x of magnitude larger than linear piezoelectric type generators in stress biased [011]cut relaxor ferroelectric Pb(In1/2Nb1/2)O3-Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-PbTiO3 (PIN-PMN-PT) single crystal can generate reversible strain >0.35% at remarkably low fields (0.1 MV/m) for tens of millions of cycles. Recently we demonstrated that large strain and polarization rotation can be generated for over 40 x 106cycles with little fatigue by realization of reversible ferroelectric-ferroelectric phase transition in [011] cut PIN-PMN-PT relaxor ferroelectric single crystal while sweeping through the transition with a low applied electric field <0.18 MV/m under mechanical stress. This methodology was extended in the present work to propose magnetoelectric (ME) composite hybrid system comprised of highly magnetostrictive alloymFe81.4Ga18.6 (Galfenol), and lead indium niobate-lead magnesium niobate-lead titanate (PIN-PMN-PT) domain engineered relaxor ferroelectric single crystal. A small time-varying magnetic field applied to this system causes the magnetostrictive element to expand, and the resulting stress forces the phase change in the relaxor ferroelectric single crystal. ME coupling coefficient was fond to achieve 80 V/cm Oe near the FR-FO phase transition that is at least 100X of magnitude higher than any currently reported values.

  3. Phase diagram of the relaxor ferroelectric (1- x )Pb(Mg 1/3Nb 2/3)O 3+ x PbTiO 3 revisited: a neutron powder diffraction study of the relaxor skin effect

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Phelan, D.; Rodriguez, E. E.; Gao, J.

    2014-11-17

    We revisit the phase diagram of the relaxor ferroelectric PMN- xPT using neutron powder diffraction to test suggestions that residual oxygen vacancies and/or strain affect the ground state crystal structure. Powdered samples of PMN- xPT were prepared with nominal compositions of x = 0:10, 0.20, 0.30, and 0.40 and divided into two identical sets, one of which was annealed in air to relieve grinding-induced strain and to promote an ideal oxygen stoichiometry. For a given composition and temperature the same structural phase is observed for each specimen. However, the distortions in all of the annealed samples are smaller than thosemore » in the as-grown samples. Further, the diffraction patterns for x = 0:10, 0.20, and 0.30 are best refined using the monoclinic Cm space group. By comparing our neutron diffraction results to those obtained on single crystals having similar compositions, we conclude that the relaxor skin effect in PMN- xPT vanishes on the Ti-rich side of the morphotropic phase boundary.« less

  4. Understanding the structure–property relationships of the ferroelectric to relaxor transition of the (1-x)BaTiO3–(x)BiInO3 lead-free piezoelectric system

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Manjón-Sanz, Alicia; Berger, Caitlin; Dolgos, Michelle R.

    A structural and electromechanical investigation has been performed on (1-x)BaTiO 3–(x)BiInO 3 in the region 0.03 ≤ x ≤ 0.12. A gradual structural phase transition has been observed where the structure changes from tetragonal (P4mm) and passes through two regions of coexisting phases: (1) P4mm + R3m in the range 0.03 ≤ x ≤ 0.075 and (2) Pmmore » $$\\bar{3}$$m + R3m for 0.10 ≤ x ≤ 0.12. The properties also transition from ferroelectric (x ≤ 0.03) to relaxor ferroelectric (x ≥ 0.05) as the dielectric permittivity maximum becomes temperature and frequency dependent. This transition was also confirmed via polarization-electric field measurements as well as strain-electric field measurements. At the critical composition of x = 0.065, a moderate strain of ~0.104% and an effective piezoelectric coefficient (d$$*\\atop{33}$$) of 260 pm/V were observed. Finally, the original purpose of this study was to demonstrate the polarization extension mechanism as predicted in the literature, but due to the ferroelectric to relaxor transition, this mechanism was not found to be present in this system. However, this demonstrates that BaTiO 3-based lead-free ceramics could be modified to obtain enhanced electromechanical properties for actuator applications.« less

  5. Understanding the structure–property relationships of the ferroelectric to relaxor transition of the (1-x)BaTiO3–(x)BiInO3 lead-free piezoelectric system

    DOE PAGES

    Manjón-Sanz, Alicia; Berger, Caitlin; Dolgos, Michelle R.

    2017-05-01

    A structural and electromechanical investigation has been performed on (1-x)BaTiO 3–(x)BiInO 3 in the region 0.03 ≤ x ≤ 0.12. A gradual structural phase transition has been observed where the structure changes from tetragonal (P4mm) and passes through two regions of coexisting phases: (1) P4mm + R3m in the range 0.03 ≤ x ≤ 0.075 and (2) Pmmore » $$\\bar{3}$$m + R3m for 0.10 ≤ x ≤ 0.12. The properties also transition from ferroelectric (x ≤ 0.03) to relaxor ferroelectric (x ≥ 0.05) as the dielectric permittivity maximum becomes temperature and frequency dependent. This transition was also confirmed via polarization-electric field measurements as well as strain-electric field measurements. At the critical composition of x = 0.065, a moderate strain of ~0.104% and an effective piezoelectric coefficient (d$$*\\atop{33}$$) of 260 pm/V were observed. Finally, the original purpose of this study was to demonstrate the polarization extension mechanism as predicted in the literature, but due to the ferroelectric to relaxor transition, this mechanism was not found to be present in this system. However, this demonstrates that BaTiO 3-based lead-free ceramics could be modified to obtain enhanced electromechanical properties for actuator applications.« less

  6. Temperature and pressure effects on elastic properties of relaxor ferroelectrics and thermoelectrics: A resonant ultrasound spectroscopy study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tennakoon, Sumudu P.

    Relaxor ferroelectric lead magnesium niobate-lead titanate (PMN-PT) material exhibits exceptional electromechanical properties. The material undergoes a series of structural phase transitions with changes in temperature and the chemical composition. The work covered in this dissertation seek to gain insight into the phase diagram of PMN-PT using temperature and pressure dependence of the elastic properties. Single crystal PMN-PT with a composition near morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) was investigated using a resonant ultrasound spectroscopy (RUS) methodologies in the temperature range of 293 K - 800 K and the pressure range from near vacuum to 3.4 MPa. At atmospheric pressure, significantly high acoustic attenuation of PMN-PT is observed at temperatures below 400 K. A strong stiffening is observed in the temperature range of 400 K - 673 K, followed by a gradual softening at higher temperatures. With varying pressure, an increased pressure sensitivity of the elastic properties of PMN-PT is observed at the temperatures in the stiffening phase. Elastic behavior at elevated temperatures and pressures were studied for correlations with the ferroelectric domains at temperatures below the Curie temperature (TC), the locally polarized nano-regions, and an existence of pseudo-cubic crystalline at higher temperatures between (TC and TB). Thermoelectric lanthanum tellurides and skutterudites are being investigated by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory for advanced thermoelectric generates (TEGs). Effects of nickel (Ni) doping on elastic properties of lanthanum tellurides at elevated temperatures were investigated in the temperature range of 293 K - 800 K. A linear stiffening was observed with increasing the Ni content in the material. Elastic properties of p-type and n-type bismuth-based skutterudites were investigated in the temperature range of 293 K - 723 K. Elastic properties of rare-earth doped strontium titanate were also investigated in the temperature range of 293 K

  7. Observation of relaxor ferroelectricity and multiferroic behaviour in nanoparticles of the ferromagnetic semiconductor La2NiMnO6

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Masud, Md G.; Ghosh, Arijit; Sannigrahi, J.; Chaudhuri, B. K.

    2012-07-01

    We report a diffuse phase transition (extending over a finite temperature range of ˜50 K) in sol-gel derived nanoparticles (˜25 nm) of the ferromagnetic double perovskite La2NiMnO6. The macroscopic polarization (P-E hysteresis loop), validity of the Vogel-Fulcher relation and high dielectric permittivity (˜9 × 102) confirm relaxor ferroelectric phenomena in these magnetic nanoparticles. Compared to the corresponding bulk sample, appreciably large enhancement of the magnetocapacitive effect (MC ˜ 30%) is observed even under low magnetic field (0.5 T) around the broad relaxor dielectric peak temperature (˜220 K), which is close to the ferromagnetic transition temperature (θf ˜ 196 K). All of these features establish the multiferroic character of the La2NiMnO6 nanoparticles. The inhomogeneities arising from chemical and valence mixing in the present La2NiMnO6 nanoparticles and the inter-site, Ni/Mn-site disorder along with surface disorder of the individual nanoparticles resulting in local polar regions are attributed to the observed dielectric behaviour of the nanoparticles. The wave vector dependent spin-pair correlation is considered to be the plausible cause of the colossal magnetocapacitive response near the transition temperature. High permittivity and large magnetocapacitive properties make these ferromagnetic La2NiMnO6 nanoparticles technologically important.

  8. A flexible tactile-feedback touch screen using transparent ferroelectric polymer film vibrators

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ju, Woo-Eon; Moon, Yong-Ju; Park, Cheon-Ho; Choi, Seung Tae

    2014-07-01

    To provide tactile feedback on flexible touch screens, transparent relaxor ferroelectric polymer film vibrators were designed and fabricated in this study. The film vibrator can be integrated underneath a transparent cover film or glass, and can also produce acoustic waves that cause a tactile sensation on human fingertips. Poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene-chlorotrifluoroethylene) [P(VDF-TrFE-CTFE)] polymer was used as the relaxor ferroelectric polymer because it produces a large strain under applied electric fields, shows a fast response, and has excellent optical transparency. The natural frequency of this tactile-feedback touch screen was designed to be around 200-240 Hz, at which the haptic perception of human fingertips is the most sensitive; therefore, the resonance of the touch screen at its natural frequency provides maximum haptic sensation. A multilayered relaxor ferroelectric polymer film vibrator was also demonstrated to provide the same vibration power at reduced voltage. The flexible P(VDF-TrFE-CTFE) film vibrators developed in this study are expected to provide tactile sensation not only in large-area flat panel displays, but also in flexible displays and touch screens.

  9. Relaxor-ferroelectric BaLnZT (Ln = La, Nd, Sm, Eu, and Sc) ceramics for actuator and energy storage application

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ghosh, Sarit K.; Mallick, Kaushik; Tiwari, B.; Sinha, E.; Rout, S. K.

    2018-01-01

    Lead free ceramics Ba1-x Ln2x/3Zr0.3Ti0.7O3 (Ln = La, Nd, Sm, Eu and Sc), x = 0.02-0.10 are investigated for electrostrictive effect and energy storage properties in the proximity of relaxor-paraelectric phase boundary. Relaxor phase evidence from slim hysteresis loop and low remnant polarization are the key parameters responsible for improve the electrostrictive effect and energy storage properties simultaneously. With increase in rare earth content negative strain disappeared and almost hysteresis free strain is achieved. Strain-hysteresis profile in term of S-E, S-E 2 and S-P 2 is used to analyze the electrostrictive behavior of these ceramics. An average strain (S%) ˜ 0.03%, is accomplished at initial concentrations of x = 0.02-0.04 and electrostrictive coefficients (Q 11, and M 11) as well as the energy storage density is improved by a factor of 1.2 and 2.6 respectively when compare with pure (x = 0.0) ceramic. Above x ≥ 0.06, all compositions show a stable behavior which suggested the possibilities of these relaxor ceramics towards high precision actuators and energy storage application.

  10. Multinuclear NMR studies of relaxor ferroelectrics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhou, Donghua

    Multinuclear NMR of 93Nb, 45Sc, and 207Pb has been carried out to study the structure, disorder, and dynamics of a series of important solid solutions: perovskite relaxor ferroelectric materials (1-x) Pb(Mg1/3Nb 2/3)O3-x Pb(Sc1/2Nb1/2)O 3 (PMN-PSN). 93Nb NMR investigations of the local structure and cation order/disorder are presented as a function of PSN concentration, x. The superb fidelity and accuracy of 3QMAS allows us to make clear and consistent assignments of spectral intensities to the 28 possible nearest B-site neighbor (nBn) configurations, (NMg, NSc, NNb), where each number ranges from 0 to 6 and their sum is 6. For most of the 28 possible nBn configurations, isotropic chemical shifts and quadrupole product constants have been extracted from the data. The seven configurations with only larger cations, Mg 2+ and Sc3+ (and no Nb5+) are assigned to the seven observed narrow peaks, whose deconvoluted intensities facilitate quantitative evaluation of, and differentiation between, different models of B-site (chemical) disorder. The "completely random" model is ruled out and the "random site" model is shown to be in qualitative agreement with the NMR experiments. To obtain quantitative agreement with observed NMR intensities, the random site model is slightly modified by including unlike-pair interaction energies. To date, 45Sc studies have not been as fruitful as 93Nb NMR because the resolution is lower in the 45Sc spectra. The lower resolution of 45Sc spectra is due to a smaller span of isotropic chemical shift (40 ppm for 45Sc vs. 82 ppm for 93Nb) and to the lack of a fortuitous mechanism that simplifies the 93Nb spectra; for 93Nb the overlap of the isotropic chemical shifts of 6-Sc and 6-Nb configurations results in the alignment of all the 28 configurations along only seven quadrupole distribution axes. Finally we present variable temperature 207Pb static, MAS, and 2D-PASS NMR studies. Strong linear correlations between isotropic and anisotropic chemical

  11. Three-mode coupling interference patterns in the dynamic structure factor of a relaxor ferroelectric

    DOE PAGES

    Manley, M. E.; Abernathy, D. L.; Sahul, R.; ...

    2016-09-22

    A long-standing controversy for relaxor ferroelectrics has been the origin of the waterfall effect in the phonon dispersion curves, in which low-energy transverse phonons cascade into vertical columns. Originally interpreted as phonons interacting with polar nanoregions (PNRs), it was later explained as an interference effect of coupling damped optic and acoustic phonons. In light of a recently discovered PNR vibrational mode near the waterfall wavevector [M. E. Manley, J. W. Lynn, D. L. Abernathy, E. D. Specht, O. Delaire, A. R. Bishop, R. Sahul, and J. D. Budai, Nat. Commun. 5, 3683 (2014)] we have reexamined this feature using neutronmore » scattering on [100]-poled PMN-30%PT (0.6Pb(Mg 1/3Nb 2/3)O 3 0.3PbTiO 3). In addition, we find that the PNR mode couples to both optic and acoustic phonons, and that this results in complex patterns in the dynamic structure factor, including intensity pockets and peaks localized in momentum-energy space. These features are fully explained by extending the mode-coupling model to include three coupled damped harmonic oscillators representing the transverse optic, acoustic, and PNR modes.« less

  12. Three-mode coupling interference patterns in the dynamic structure factor of a relaxor ferroelectric

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Manley, M. E.; Abernathy, D. L.; Sahul, R.; Stonaha, P. J.; Budai, J. D.

    2016-09-01

    A longstanding controversy for relaxor ferroelectrics has been the origin of the "waterfall" effect in the phonon dispersion curves, in which low-energy transverse phonons cascade into vertical columns. Originally interpreted as phonons interacting with polar nanoregions (PNRs), it was later explained as an interference effect of coupling damped optic and acoustic phonons. In light of a recently discovered PNR vibrational mode near the "waterfall" wave vector [M. E. Manley, J. W. Lynn, D. L. Abernathy, E. D. Specht, O. Delaire, A. R. Bishop, R. Sahul, and J. D. Budai, Nat. Commun. 5, 3683 (2014), 10.1038/ncomms4683], we have reexamined this feature using neutron scattering on [100]-poled PMN-30%PT [0.6 Pb (M g1 /3N b2 /3 ) O3-0.3 PbTi O3] . We find that the PNR mode couples to both optic and acoustic phonons and that this results in complex patterns in the dynamic structure factor, including intensity pockets and peaks localized in momentum-energy space. These features are fully explained by extending the mode-coupling model to include three coupled damped harmonic oscillators representing the transverse optic, acoustic, and PNR modes.

  13. Investigation of reduced (Srx,Ba1-x)Nb 2O6 as a ferroelectric-based thermoelectric

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bock, Jonathan A.

    A comprehensive study of a novel type of thermoelectric - a heavily doped material from a ferroelectric base composition - is presented. Due to the low-lying optic modes and scattering of phonons at domain walls, ferroelectrics make interesting candidates for thermoelectrics. The example of (Srx,Ba1-x)Nb2O6-delta (SBN) is explored in detail due to a report of an impressive thermoelectric figure of merit in single crystals. The goal of this research is to understand the source of the large figure of merit in SBN. In attempts to do this, the electron transport mechanism, the coupling between electron transport and ferroelectricity, the phase equilibria, and the single crystalline thermoelectric properties were investigated under various reduction conditions. It was found that the electron transport properties of a normal ferroelectric SBN can be well explained by activation of electrons into the conduction band from a localized impurity band. SBN can be shifted between a normal and relaxor ferroelectric by changing the Sr:Ba ratio. This property of SBN was utilized to study the effect of relaxor ferroelectricity on electron transport. Within the relaxor ferroelectric regime, a change in the activation energy for electronic conduction and an abnormal temperature dependence of the Seebeck coefficient were found. These properties are attributed to Anderson localization caused by the relaxor ferroelectricity. This is not thought to be the cause of the large thermoelectric figure of merit. The electron transport-ferroelectric coupling was also studied in oxygen deficient (Bax,Sr1-x)TiO3-delta (BST). A metallic-like to nonmetallic transition occurs at the ferroelectric transition, and the temperature of the metallic-like to nonmetallic transition can be shifted via Sr doping. The temperature shift on Sr doping is equivalent to the shift in the paraelectric ferroelectric transition temperature in unreduced samples, showing that the ferroelectric transition is the cause of

  14. Dielectric, piezoelectric, and ferroelectric properties of grain-orientated Bi3.25La0.75Ti3O12 ceramics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Jing; Shen, Zhijian; Yan, Haixue; Reece, Michael J.; Kan, Yanmei; Wang, Peiling

    2007-11-01

    By dynamic forging during Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS), grain-orientated ferroelectric Bi3.25La0.75Ti3O12 (BLT) ceramics were prepared. Their ferroelectric, piezoelectric, and dielectric properties are anisotropic. The textured ceramics parallel and perpendicular to the shear flow directions have similar thermal depoling behaviors. The d33 piezoelectric coefficient of BLT ceramics gradually reduces up to 350 °C; it then drops rapidly. The broadness of the dielectric constant and loss peaks and the existence of d33 above the permittivity peak, Tm, show that the BLT ceramic has relaxor-like behavior.

  15. Observation of relaxor ferroelectricity and multiferroic behaviour in nanoparticles of the ferromagnetic semiconductor La(2)NiMnO(6).

    PubMed

    Masud, Md G; Ghosh, Arijit; Sannigrahi, J; Chaudhuri, B K

    2012-07-25

    We report a diffuse phase transition (extending over a finite temperature range of ∼50 K) in sol-gel derived nanoparticles (∼25 nm) of the ferromagnetic double perovskite La(2)NiMnO(6). The macroscopic polarization (P-E hysteresis loop), validity of the Vogel-Fulcher relation and high dielectric permittivity (∼9 × 10(2)) confirm relaxor ferroelectric phenomena in these magnetic nanoparticles. Compared to the corresponding bulk sample, appreciably large enhancement of the magnetocapacitive effect (MC  ∼ 30%) is observed even under low magnetic field (0.5 T) around the broad relaxor dielectric peak temperature (∼220 K), which is close to the ferromagnetic transition temperature (θ(f) ∼ 196 K). All of these features establish the multiferroic character of the La(2)NiMnO(6) nanoparticles. The inhomogeneities arising from chemical and valence mixing in the present La(2)NiMnO(6) nanoparticles and the inter-site, Ni/Mn-site disorder along with surface disorder of the individual nanoparticles resulting in local polar regions are attributed to the observed dielectric behaviour of the nanoparticles. The wave vector dependent spin-pair correlation is considered to be the plausible cause of the colossal magnetocapacitive response near the transition temperature. High permittivity and large magnetocapacitive properties make these ferromagnetic La(2)NiMnO(6) nanoparticles technologically important.

  16. Stress effects in ferroelectric perovskite thin-films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zednik, Ricardo Johann

    The exciting class of ferroelectric materials presents the engineer with an array of unique properties that offer promise in a variety of applications; these applications include infra-red detectors ("night-vision imaging", pyroelectricity), micro-electro-mechanical-systems (MEMS, piezoelectricity), and non-volatile memory (NVM, ferroelectricity). Realizing these modern devices often requires perovskite-based ferroelectric films thinner than 100 nm. Two such technologically important material systems are (Ba,Sr)TiO3 (BST), for tunable dielectric devices employed in wireless communications, and Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 (PZT), for ferroelectric non-volatile memory (FeRAM). In general, the material behavior is strongly influenced by the mechanical boundary conditions imposed by the substrate and surrounding layers and may vary considerably from the known bulk behavior. A better mechanistic understanding of these effects is essential for harnessing the full potential of ferroelectric thin-films and further optimizing existing devices. Both materials share a common crystal structure and similar properties, but face unique challenges due to the design parameters of these different applications. Tunable devices often require very low dielectric loss as well as large dielectric tunability. Present results show that the dielectric response of BST thin-films can either resemble a dipole-relaxor or follow the accepted empirical Universal Relaxation Law (Curie-von Schweidler), depending on temperature. These behaviors in a single ferroelectric thin-film system are often thought to be mutually exclusive. In state-of-the-art high density FeRAM, the ferroelectric polarization is at least as important as the dielectric response. It was found that these properties are significantly affected by moderate biaxial tensile and compressive stresses which reversibly alter the ferroelastic domain populations of PZT at room temperature. The 90-degree domain wall motion observed by high resolution

  17. Pyroelectric energy conversion with large energy and power density in relaxor ferroelectric thin films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pandya, Shishir; Wilbur, Joshua; Kim, Jieun; Gao, Ran; Dasgupta, Arvind; Dames, Chris; Martin, Lane W.

    2018-05-01

    The need for efficient energy utilization is driving research into ways to harvest ubiquitous waste heat. Here, we explore pyroelectric energy conversion from low-grade thermal sources that exploits strong field- and temperature-induced polarization susceptibilities in the relaxor ferroelectric 0.68Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-0.32PbTiO3. Electric-field-driven enhancement of the pyroelectric response (as large as -550 μC m-2 K-1) and suppression of the dielectric response (by 72%) yield substantial figures of merit for pyroelectric energy conversion. Field- and temperature-dependent pyroelectric measurements highlight the role of polarization rotation and field-induced polarization in mediating these effects. Solid-state, thin-film devices that convert low-grade heat into electrical energy are demonstrated using pyroelectric Ericsson cycles, and optimized to yield maximum energy density, power density and efficiency of 1.06 J cm-3, 526 W cm-3 and 19% of Carnot, respectively; the highest values reported to date and equivalent to the performance of a thermoelectric with an effective ZT ≈ 1.16 for a temperature change of 10 K. Our findings suggest that pyroelectric devices may be competitive with thermoelectric devices for low-grade thermal harvesting.

  18. Pyroelectric energy conversion with large energy and power density in relaxor ferroelectric thin films.

    PubMed

    Pandya, Shishir; Wilbur, Joshua; Kim, Jieun; Gao, Ran; Dasgupta, Arvind; Dames, Chris; Martin, Lane W

    2018-05-01

    The need for efficient energy utilization is driving research into ways to harvest ubiquitous waste heat. Here, we explore pyroelectric energy conversion from low-grade thermal sources that exploits strong field- and temperature-induced polarization susceptibilities in the relaxor ferroelectric 0.68Pb(Mg 1/3 Nb 2/3 )O 3 -0.32PbTiO 3 . Electric-field-driven enhancement of the pyroelectric response (as large as -550 μC m -2  K -1 ) and suppression of the dielectric response (by 72%) yield substantial figures of merit for pyroelectric energy conversion. Field- and temperature-dependent pyroelectric measurements highlight the role of polarization rotation and field-induced polarization in mediating these effects. Solid-state, thin-film devices that convert low-grade heat into electrical energy are demonstrated using pyroelectric Ericsson cycles, and optimized to yield maximum energy density, power density and efficiency of 1.06 J cm -3 , 526 W cm -3 and 19% of Carnot, respectively; the highest values reported to date and equivalent to the performance of a thermoelectric with an effective ZT ≈ 1.16 for a temperature change of 10 K. Our findings suggest that pyroelectric devices may be competitive with thermoelectric devices for low-grade thermal harvesting.

  19. Phonon coupling to dynamic short-range polar order in a relaxor ferroelectric near the morphotropic phase boundary

    DOE PAGES

    John A. Schneeloch; Xu, Zhijun; Winn, B.; ...

    2015-12-28

    We report neutron inelastic scattering experiments on single-crystal PbMg 1/3Nb 2/3O 3 doped with 32% PbTiO 3, a relaxor ferroelectric that lies close to the morphotropic phase boundary. When cooled under an electric field E∥ [001] into tetragonal and monoclinic phases, the scattering cross section from transverse acoustic (TA) phonons polarized parallel to E weakens and shifts to higher energy relative to that under zero-field-cooled conditions. Likewise, the scattering cross section from transverse optic (TO) phonons polarized parallel to E weakens for energy transfers 4 ≤ ℏω ≤ 9 meV. However, TA and TO phonons polarized perpendicular to E showmore » no change. This anisotropic field response is similar to that of the diffuse scattering cross section, which, as previously reported, is suppressed when polarized parallel to E but not when polarized perpendicular to E. Lastly, our findings suggest that the lattice dynamics and dynamic short-range polar correlations that give rise to the diffuse scattering are coupled.« less

  20. Non-trivial behavior of the low temperature maximum of dielectric constant and location of the end critical point in Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3-0.06BaTiO3 lead free relaxor ferroelectrics crystals detected by acoustic emission

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dul'kin, Evgeniy; Tiagunova, Jenia; Mojaev, Evgeny; Roth, Michael

    2018-01-01

    [001] lead free relaxor ferroelectrics crystals of Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3-0.06BaTiO3 were studied by means of dielectric and acoustic emission methods in the temperature range of 25-240 °C and under a dc bias electric field up to 0.4 kV/cm. A temperature maximum of the dielectric constant was found near 170 °C, as well as the acoustic emission bursts pointed out to both the depolarization temperature near 120 °C and the temperature, corresponding to the maximum of dielectric constant, near 170 °C. While the depolarization temperature increased linearly, the temperature of the dielectric constant maximum was shown to exhibit a V-shape behavior under an electric field: it initially decreases, reaches a sharp minimum at some small threshold electric field of 0.15 kV/cm, and then starts to increase similar to the Curie temperature of the normal ferroelectrics, as the field enhances. Acoustic emission bursts, accompanying the depolarization temperature, weakened with the enhancing field, whereas the ones accompanying the temperature of the dielectric constant maximum exhibited two maxima: near 0.1 kV/cm and near 0.3 kV/cm. The meaning of these two acoustic emission maxima is discussed.

  1. Stress-induced reversible and irreversible ferroelectric domain switching

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Zibin; Huang, Qianwei; Wang, Feifei; Ringer, Simon P.; Luo, Haosu; Liao, Xiaozhou

    2018-04-01

    Ferroelectric materials have been extensively explored for applications in electronic devices because of their ferroelectric/ferroelastic domain switching behaviour under electric bias or mechanical stress. Recent findings on applying mechanical loading to manipulate reversible logical signals in non-volatile ferroelectric memory devices make ferroelectric materials more attractive to scientists and engineers. However, the dynamical microscopic structural behaviour of ferroelectric domains under stress is not well understood, which limits the applications of ferroelectric/ferroelastic switching in memory devices. Here, the kinetics of reversible and irreversible ferroelectric domain switching induced by mechanical stress in relaxor-based ferroelectrics was explored. In-situ transmission electron microscopy investigation revealed that 90° ferroelastic and 180° ferroelectric domain switching can be induced by low and high mechanical stresses. The nucleation and growth of nanoscale domains overwhelm the defect-induced pinning effect on the stable micro-domain walls. This study provides deep insights for exploring the mechanical kinetics for ferroelectric/ferroelastic domains and a clear pathway to overcome the domain pinning effect of defects in ferroelectrics.

  2. Giant electrocaloric response in the prototypical Pb(Mg,Nb)O3 relaxor ferroelectric from atomistic simulations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jiang, Zhijun; Nahas, Y.; Prokhorenko, S.; Prosandeev, S.; Wang, D.; Íñiguez, Jorge; Bellaiche, L.

    2018-03-01

    An atomistic effective Hamiltonian is used to investigate electrocaloric (EC) effects of Pb (Mg1 /3Nb2 /3) O3 relaxor ferroelectrics in its ergodic regime, and subject to electric fields applied along the pseudocubic [111] direction. Such a Hamiltonian qualitatively reproduces (i) the electric field-versus-temperature phase diagram, including the existence of a critical point where first-order and second-order transitions meet each other; and (ii) a giant EC response near such a critical point. It also reveals that such giant response around this critical point is microscopically induced by field-induced percolation of polar nanoregions. Moreover, it is also found that, for any temperature above the critical point, the EC coefficient-versus-electric-field curve adopts a maximum (and thus larger electrocaloric response too), that can be well described by the general Landau-like model proposed by Jiang et al., [Phys. Rev. B 96, 014114 (2017)], 10.1103/PhysRevB.96.014114, and that is further correlated with specific microscopic features related to dipoles lying along different rhombohedral directions. Furthermore, for temperatures being at least 40 K higher than the critical temperature, the (electric field, temperature) line associated with this maximal EC coefficient is below both the Widom line and the line representing percolation of polar nanoregions.

  3. Large Energy Storage Density and High Thermal Stability in a Highly Textured (111)-Oriented Pb0.8Ba0.2ZrO3 Relaxor Thin Film with the Coexistence of Antiferroelectric and Ferroelectric Phases.

    PubMed

    Peng, Biaolin; Zhang, Qi; Li, Xing; Sun, Tieyu; Fan, Huiqing; Ke, Shanming; Ye, Mao; Wang, Yu; Lu, Wei; Niu, Hanben; Zeng, Xierong; Huang, Haitao

    2015-06-24

    A highly textured (111)-oriented Pb0.8Ba0.2ZrO3 (PBZ) relaxor thin film with the coexistence of antiferroelectric (AFE) and ferroelectric (FE) phases was prepared on a Pt/TiOx/SiO2/Si(100) substrate by using a sol-gel method. A large recoverable energy storage density of 40.18 J/cm(3) along with an efficiency of 64.1% was achieved at room temperature. Over a wide temperature range of 250 K (from room temperature to 523 K), the variation of the energy density is within 5%, indicating a high thermal stability. The high energy storage performance was endowed by a large dielectric breakdown strength, great relaxor dispersion, highly textured orientation, and the coexistence of FE and AFE phases. The PBZ thin film is believed to be an attractive material for applications in energy storage systems over a wide temperature range.

  4. Machine learning–enabled identification of material phase transitions based on experimental data: Exploring collective dynamics in ferroelectric relaxors

    DOE PAGES

    Li, Linglong; Yang, Yaodong; Zhang, Dawei; ...

    2018-03-30

    Exploration of phase transitions and construction of associated phase diagrams are of fundamental importance for condensed matter physics and materials science alike, and remain the focus of extensive research for both theoretical and experimental studies. For the latter, comprehensive studies involving scattering, thermodynamics, and modeling are typically required. We present a new approach to data mining multiple realizations of collective dynamics, measured through piezoelectric relaxation studies, to identify the onset of a structural phase transition in nanometer-scale volumes, that is, the probed volume of an atomic force microscope tip. Machine learning is used to analyze the multidimensional data sets describingmore » relaxation to voltage and thermal stimuli, producing the temperature-bias phase diagram for a relaxor crystal without the need to measure (or know) the order parameter. The suitability of the approach to determine the phase diagram is shown with simulations based on a two-dimensional Ising model. Finally, these results indicate that machine learning approaches can be used to determine phase transitions in ferroelectrics, providing a general, statistically significant, and robust approach toward determining the presence of critical regimes and phase boundaries.« less

  5. Machine learning–enabled identification of material phase transitions based on experimental data: Exploring collective dynamics in ferroelectric relaxors

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Li, Linglong; Yang, Yaodong; Zhang, Dawei

    Exploration of phase transitions and construction of associated phase diagrams are of fundamental importance for condensed matter physics and materials science alike, and remain the focus of extensive research for both theoretical and experimental studies. For the latter, comprehensive studies involving scattering, thermodynamics, and modeling are typically required. We present a new approach to data mining multiple realizations of collective dynamics, measured through piezoelectric relaxation studies, to identify the onset of a structural phase transition in nanometer-scale volumes, that is, the probed volume of an atomic force microscope tip. Machine learning is used to analyze the multidimensional data sets describingmore » relaxation to voltage and thermal stimuli, producing the temperature-bias phase diagram for a relaxor crystal without the need to measure (or know) the order parameter. The suitability of the approach to determine the phase diagram is shown with simulations based on a two-dimensional Ising model. Finally, these results indicate that machine learning approaches can be used to determine phase transitions in ferroelectrics, providing a general, statistically significant, and robust approach toward determining the presence of critical regimes and phase boundaries.« less

  6. Revealing the core-shell interactions of a giant strain relaxor ferroelectric 0.75Bi1/2Na1/2TiO3-0.25SrTiO3.

    PubMed

    Liu, Na; Acosta, Matias; Wang, Shuai; Xu, Bai-Xiang; Stark, Robert W; Dietz, Christian

    2016-11-14

    Lead-free relaxor ferroelectrics that feature a core-shell microstructure provide an excellent electromechanical response. They even have the potential to replace the environmentally hazardous lead-zirconia-titanate (PZT) in large strain actuation applications. Although the dielectric properties of core-shell ceramics have been extensively investigated, their piezoelectric properties are not yet well understood. To unravel the interfacial core-shell interaction, we studied the relaxation behaviour of field-induced ferroelectric domains in 0.75Bi 1/2 Na 1/2 TiO 3 -0.25SrTiO 3 (BNT-25ST), as a typical core-shell bulk material, using a piezoresponse force microscope. We found that after poling, lateral domains emerged at the core-shell interface and propagated to the shell region. Phase field simulations showed that the increased electrical potential beneath the core is responsible for the in-plane domain evolution. Our results imply that the field-induced domains act as pivotal points at the coherent heterophase core-shell interface, reinforcing the phase transition in the non-polar shell and thus promoting the giant strain.

  7. Oxygen-vacancy-related dielectric relaxation in SrBi2Ta1.8V0.2O9 ferroelectrics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wu, Yun; Forbess, Mike J.; Seraji, Seana; Limmer, Steven J.; Chou, Tammy P.; Cao, Guozhong

    2001-05-01

    The strontium bismuth tantalate vanadate, SrBi2Ta1.8V0.2O9, (SBTV) layered perovskite ferroelectrics were made by solid state powder sintering. It was found that the SBTV ferroelectrics had the same crystal structure as that of strontium bismuth tantalate, SrBi2Ta2O9 (SBT), but an increased paraferroelectric transition temperature at ˜360 °C as compared to 305 °C for SBT. In addition, SBTV ferroelectrics showed a frequency dispersion at low frequencies and broadened dielectric peaks at the paraferroelectric transition temperature that shifted to a higher temperature with a reduced frequency. However, after a postsintering annealing at 850 °C in air for 60 h, SBTV ferroelectrics showed reduced dielectric constants and tangent loss, particularly at high temperatures. In addition, no frequency dependence of paraferroelectric transition was found in the annealed SBTV ferroelectrics. Furthermore, there was a significant reduction in dc conductivity with annealing. The prior results implied that the dielectric relaxation in the as-sintered SBTV ferroelectrics was most likely due to the oxygen-vacancy-related dielectric relaxation instead of relaxor ferroelectric behavior.

  8. An Ultrathin Single Crystalline Relaxor Ferroelectric Integrated on a High Mobility Semiconductor.

    PubMed

    Moghadam, Reza M; Xiao, Zhiyong; Ahmadi-Majlan, Kamyar; Grimley, Everett D; Bowden, Mark; Ong, Phuong-Vu; Chambers, Scott A; Lebeau, James M; Hong, Xia; Sushko, Peter V; Ngai, Joseph H

    2017-10-11

    The epitaxial growth of multifunctional oxides on semiconductors has opened a pathway to introduce new functionalities to semiconductor device technologies. In particular, the integration of gate materials that enable nonvolatile or hysteretic functionality in field-effect transistors could lead to device technologies that consume less power or allow for novel modalities in computing. Here we present electrical characterization of ultrathin single crystalline SrZr x Ti 1-x O 3 (x = 0.7) films epitaxially grown on a high mobility semiconductor, Ge. Epitaxial films of SrZr x Ti 1-x O 3 exhibit relaxor behavior, characterized by a hysteretic polarization that can modulate the surface potential of Ge. We find that gate layers as thin as 5 nm corresponding to an equivalent-oxide thickness of just 1.0 nm exhibit a ∼2 V hysteretic window in the capacitance-voltage characteristics. The development of hysteretic metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitors with nanoscale gate thicknesses opens new vistas for nanoelectronic devices.

  9. Losses in Ferroelectric Materials

    PubMed Central

    Liu, Gang; Zhang, Shujun; Jiang, Wenhua; Cao, Wenwu

    2015-01-01

    Ferroelectric materials are the best dielectric and piezoelectric materials known today. Since the discovery of barium titanate in the 1940s, lead zirconate titanate ceramics in the 1950s and relaxor-PT single crystals (such as lead magnesium niobate-lead titanate and lead zinc niobate-lead titanate) in the 1980s and 1990s, perovskite ferroelectric materials have been the dominating piezoelectric materials for electromechanical devices, and are widely used in sensors, actuators and ultrasonic transducers. Energy losses (or energy dissipation) in ferroelectrics are one of the most critical issues for high power devices, such as therapeutic ultrasonic transducers, large displacement actuators, SONAR projectors, and high frequency medical imaging transducers. The losses of ferroelectric materials have three distinct types, i.e., elastic, piezoelectric and dielectric losses. People have been investigating the mechanisms of these losses and are trying hard to control and minimize them so as to reduce performance degradation in electromechanical devices. There are impressive progresses made in the past several decades on this topic, but some confusions still exist. Therefore, a systematic review to define related concepts and clear up confusions is urgently in need. With this objective in mind, we provide here a comprehensive review on the energy losses in ferroelectrics, including related mechanisms, characterization techniques and collections of published data on many ferroelectric materials to provide a useful resource for interested scientists and engineers to design electromechanical devices and to gain a global perspective on the complex physical phenomena involved. More importantly, based on the analysis of available information, we proposed a general theoretical model to describe the inherent relationships among elastic, dielectric, piezoelectric and mechanical losses. For multi-domain ferroelectric single crystals and ceramics, intrinsic and extrinsic energy

  10. Losses in Ferroelectric Materials.

    PubMed

    Liu, Gang; Zhang, Shujun; Jiang, Wenhua; Cao, Wenwu

    2015-03-01

    Ferroelectric materials are the best dielectric and piezoelectric materials known today. Since the discovery of barium titanate in the 1940s, lead zirconate titanate ceramics in the 1950s and relaxor-PT single crystals (such as lead magnesium niobate-lead titanate and lead zinc niobate-lead titanate) in the 1980s and 1990s, perovskite ferroelectric materials have been the dominating piezoelectric materials for electromechanical devices, and are widely used in sensors, actuators and ultrasonic transducers. Energy losses (or energy dissipation) in ferroelectrics are one of the most critical issues for high power devices, such as therapeutic ultrasonic transducers, large displacement actuators, SONAR projectors, and high frequency medical imaging transducers. The losses of ferroelectric materials have three distinct types, i.e., elastic, piezoelectric and dielectric losses. People have been investigating the mechanisms of these losses and are trying hard to control and minimize them so as to reduce performance degradation in electromechanical devices. There are impressive progresses made in the past several decades on this topic, but some confusions still exist. Therefore, a systematic review to define related concepts and clear up confusions is urgently in need. With this objective in mind, we provide here a comprehensive review on the energy losses in ferroelectrics, including related mechanisms, characterization techniques and collections of published data on many ferroelectric materials to provide a useful resource for interested scientists and engineers to design electromechanical devices and to gain a global perspective on the complex physical phenomena involved. More importantly, based on the analysis of available information, we proposed a general theoretical model to describe the inherent relationships among elastic, dielectric, piezoelectric and mechanical losses. For multi-domain ferroelectric single crystals and ceramics, intrinsic and extrinsic energy

  11. Enhanced electrocaloric cooling in ferroelectric single crystals by electric field reversal

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ma, Yang-Bin; Novak, Nikola; Koruza, Jurij; Yang, Tongqing; Albe, Karsten; Xu, Bai-Xiang

    2016-09-01

    An improved thermodynamic cycle is validated in ferroelectric single crystals, where the cooling effect of an electrocaloric refrigerant is enhanced by applying a reversed electric field. In contrast to the conventional adiabatic heating or cooling by on-off cycles of the external electric field, applying a reversed field is significantly improving the cooling efficiency, since the variation in configurational entropy is increased. By comparing results from computer simulations using Monte Carlo algorithms and experiments using direct electrocaloric measurements, we show that the electrocaloric cooling efficiency can be enhanced by more than 20% in standard ferroelectrics and also relaxor ferroelectrics, like Pb (Mg1 /3 /Nb2 /3)0.71Ti0.29O3 .

  12. Homogenized electromechanical properties of crystalline and ceramic relaxor ferroelectric 0.58Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3 0.42PbTiO3

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jayachandran, K. P.; Guedes, J. M.; Rodrigues, H. C.

    2007-10-01

    A modelling framework that incorporates the peculiarities of microstructural features, such as the spatial correlation of crystallographic orientations and morphological texture in piezoelectrics, is established. The mathematical homogenization theory of a piezoelectric medium is implemented using the finite element method by solving the coupled equilibrium electrical and mechanical fields. The dependence of the domain orientation on the macroscopic electromechanical properties of crystalline as well as polycrystalline ceramic relaxor ferroelectric 0.58Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-0.42PbTiO3 (PMN-42% PT) is studied based on this model. The material shows large anisotropy in the piezoelectric coefficient ejK in its crystalline form. The homogenized electromechanical moduli of polycrystalline ceramic also exhibit significantly anisotropic behaviours. An optimum texture at which the piezoceramic exhibits its maximum longitudinal piezoelectric response is identified.

  13. Reconciling Local Structure Disorder and the Relaxor State in (Bi1/2Na1/2)TiO3-BaTiO3

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Groszewicz, Pedro B.; Gröting, Melanie; Breitzke, Hergen; Jo, Wook; Albe, Karsten; Buntkowsky, Gerd; Rödel, Jürgen

    2016-08-01

    Lead-based relaxor ferroelectrics are key functional materials indispensable for the production of multilayer ceramic capacitors and piezoelectric transducers. Currently there are strong efforts to develop novel environmentally benign lead-free relaxor materials. The structural origins of the relaxor state and the role of composition modifications in these lead-free materials are still not well understood. In the present contribution, the solid-solution (100-x)(Bi1/2Na1/2)TiO3-xBaTiO3 (BNT-xBT), a prototypic lead-free relaxor is studied by the combination of solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, dielectric measurements and ab-initio density functional theory (DFT). For the first time it is shown that the peculiar composition dependence of the EFG distribution width (ΔQISwidth) correlates strongly to the dispersion in dielectric permittivity, a fingerprint of the relaxor state. Significant disorder is found in the local structure of BNT-xBT, as indicated by the analysis of the electric field gradient (EFG) in 23Na 3QMAS NMR spectra. Aided by DFT calculations, this disorder is attributed to a continuous unimodal distribution of octahedral tilting. These results contrast strongly to the previously proposed coexistence of two octahedral tilt systems in BNT-xBT. Based on these results, we propose that considerable octahedral tilt disorder may be a general feature of these oxides and essential for their relaxor properties.

  14. Optimum discharge energy density at room temperature in relaxor K1/2Bi1/2TiO3 for green energy harvesting

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Banerjee, Krishnarjun; Asthana, Saket; Karuna Kumari, P.; Niranjan, Manish K.

    2018-03-01

    Lead-free polycrystalline K1/2Bi1/2TiO3 was prepared by the solid state reaction method. Experimentally observed frequencies of Raman modes signified its tetragonal phase, and matched reasonably well with theoretically calculated values. The relaxor nature of this material was observed in the temperature-dependent real part of the permittivity and dielectric loss curve. The value of the degree of diffuseness (1.99) was estimated from the modified Curie-Weiss law confirmed its relaxor behavior. The validation of this behavior was justified by the Vogel-Fülcher relation. The shoulder in the imaginary part of the modulus (M″) and permittivity (ɛ″) spectra revealed the presence of polar nano regions (PNRs). The evidence of PNRs was detectable above freezing temperatures, and became weaker when the temperature exceeded T m (temperature at the maximum of the dielectric constant). The electric field-induced polarization and strain curve showed the stabilization of the long-range ferroelectric order of the specimen at room temperature. Moreover, the discharge energy density and strain were 0.46 J cm-3 and 0.12%, respectively, at the maximum application of the electric field of 115 kV cm-1 at room temperature.

  15. Acoustic Anomalies and Phase Transition Behaviors of Lead-Free Piezoelectric (Na1/2Bi1/2)TiO₃-xBaTiO₃ Single Crystals as Revealed by Brillouin Light Scattering.

    PubMed

    Lee, Byoung Wan; Oh, Soo Han; Ko, Jae-Hyeon; Li, Xiaobing; Luo, Haosu

    2018-06-12

    The elastic properties of unpoled and prepoled (Na 1/2 Bi 1/2 )TiO₃- x BaTiO₃ (NBT- x BT) single crystals near the morphotropic phase boundary were investigated as a function of temperature using Brillouin light scattering. The acoustic mode frequency and the related acoustic damping of unpoled NBT- x BT showed very broad minimum and maximum, respectively, consistent with typical relaxor behaviors. The frequency softening of the longitudinal acoustic mode together with the increase in acoustic damping was largest along the <100> direction, indicating that polarization fluctuations were most substantial along this crystallographic direction. The difference in acoustic behaviors between the unpoled NBT- x BTs with x = 0.05 and 0.08 were negligible, which means that the NBT- x BT system exhibits typical relaxor properties over a certain composition range of at least 5~8%. The obtained relaxation time of polar nanoregions in the paraelectric phase showed a gradual slowing-down character without any critical divergent behavior. The prepoling of NBT- x BT along the <100> direction induced drastic changes in both mode frequency and damping at ~110 °C when the poling field was larger than 1.4 kV/mm, corresponding to the depoling process from macroscopic/mesoscopic ferroelectric order to ergodic relaxor state upon heating. Phase coexistence of ferroelectric and relaxor states was observed at the intermediate poling field of 1.4 kV/mm.

  16. Study of the structure, dielectric and ferroelectric behavior of BaBi4+δTi4O15 ceramics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Khokhar, Anita; Goyal, Parveen K.; Thakur, O. P.; Sreenivas, K.

    2016-05-01

    The structure and ferroelectric properties of excess bismuth doped barium bismuth titanate BaBi4+δTi4O15 (δ = 2 - 10 wt.%)) ceramics prepared by solid-state reaction method have been investigated. X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirms the formation of a single phase material with a change in the orthorhombic distortion with varying excess of bismuth content. There is no change in the phase transition temperature (Tm) while the relaxor behaviour has been modified significantly with excess of bismuth doping. Saturated hysteresis loops with high remnant polarization (Pr ~ 12.5 µC/cm2), low coercive fields (Ec ~ 26 kV/cm) are measured and a high piezoelectric coefficient (d33 ~ 29 pC/N) is achieved in poled BaBi4Ti4O15 ceramics prepared with up to 8 wt.% of excess bismuth oxide. The improvement in the ferroelectric properties with increase in the excess bismuth content in BaBi4Ti4O15 ceramics has been explained in terms of changing oxygen vacancy concentration and structural relaxation. Tunable ferroelectric materials can be obtained by manipulating the doping amount of excess bismuth.

  17. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Du Hongliang; Zhou Wancheng; Luo Fa

    The (1-x)(K{sub 0.5}Na{sub 0.5})NbO{sub 3}-x(Ba{sub 0.5}Sr{sub 0.5})TiO{sub 3} (KNN-BST) solid solution has been synthesized by conventional solid-state sintering in order to search for the new lead-free relaxor ferroelectrics for high temperature applications. The phase structure, dielectric properties, and relaxor behavior of the (1-x)KNN-xBST solid solution are systematically investigated. The phase structure of the (1-x)KNN-xBST solid solution gradually changes from pure perovskite phase with an orthorhombic symmetry to the tetragonal symmetry, then to the pseudocubic phase, and to the cubic phase with increasing addition of BST. The 0.90KNN-0.10BST solid solution shows a broad dielectric peak with permittivity maximum near 2500 andmore » low dielectric loss (<4%) in the temperature range of 100-250 deg. C. The result indicates that this material may have great potential for a variety of high temperature applications. The diffuse phase transition and the temperature of the maximum dielectric permittivity shifting toward higher temperature with increasing frequency, which are two typical characteristics for relaxor ferroelectrics, are observed in the (1-x)KNN-xBST solid solution. The dielectric relaxor behavior obeys a modified Curie-Weiss law and a Vogel-Fulcher relationship. The relaxor nature is attributed to the appearance of polar nanoregions owing to the formation of randon fields including local electric fields and elastic fields. These results confirm that the KNN-based relaxor ferroelectrics can be regarded as an alternative direction for the development of high temperature lead-free relaxor ferroelectrics.« less

  18. Ferroelectric materials for applications in sensor protection

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bhalla, Amar S.; Cross, L. Eric

    1995-07-01

    The focus of this program has been upon producing and characterizing new functional materials whose properties can be fine tuned to provide eye sensor protection against laser threats and to suit a range of optoelectronic device applications. Material systems that maximize orientational anisotropy (for use in scattering mode systems) and systems that minimize orientational anisotropy (for use in high field modulators and field induced photorefractive applications) were both approached. Relaxor ferroelectric tungsten bronze single crystals (Sr,Ba)Nb2O6 and (Pb,Ba)Nb2O6 solid solution families and relaxor ferroelectric perovskite (1-x)Pb(Mg(1/3)Nb(2/3))O(3-x)PbTiO3 (PMN-PT) families, were studied extensively. The unique capabilities of a laser heated pedestal growth (LHPG) system were utilized for growth of new materials in single crystal fiber form that produces crystals of long interaction length for optical wave in the crystal and high crystal perfection with maximized properties along chosen directions. Hot uniaxial pressing, hot forging, or appropriate solid state reaction processing methods were used to produce transparent polycrystalline ceramics to provide low scattering, high anisotropy ceramics or high scattering, high anisotropy ceramics. This final report summarizes significant results produced from this program through combination of experimental and crystal chemistry approaches in this field, delineates conclusions drawn from the research, and provides recommendations for future research.

  19. Dielectric relaxation study of Pb(Yb0.5Ta0.5)O3 near ferroelectric phase transition

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Praharaj, S.; Biswas, P.; Rout, D.

    2018-05-01

    The dielectric relaxation study of Pb(Yb0.5Ta0.5)O3 was investigated by dielectric and impedance measurements. A weak relaxor behavior was observed in the specimen near to the antiferroelectric to ferroelectric phase transition. The frequency dependence of Tm analysis confirms the existence of polar nano regions and the interaction between them as well. The depressed semicircles in the impedance plot suggest poly dispersive (non Debye type) nature of the dielectric phenomena in the sample. The dielectric relaxation was further investigated through the analysis of frequency dependence imaginary part of impedance and modulus data.

  20. Electric-field-temperature phase diagram of Mn-doped Bi{sub 0.5}(Na{sub 0.9}K{sub 0.1}){sub 0.5}TiO{sub 3} ceramics

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ehara, Yoshitaka, E-mail: Ehara@ceramics.tu-darmstadt.de; Novak, Nikola; Yasui, Shintaro

    2015-12-28

    An electric field–temperature (E-T) phase diagram for a lead-free 0.5 mol. % Mn-doped Bi(Na{sub 0.1}K{sub 0.9})TiO{sub 3} ceramics was investigated. The x-ray diffraction, dielectric and polarization measurements revealed relaxor behavior and were used to characterize the stability regions of the non-ergodic relaxor, ergodic relaxor and electric field induced ferroelectric states. As indicated by the polarization–current density profiles, transformation between two electric fields, induced ferroelectric states with opposite polarization direction arise via a two-step process through an intermediate relaxor state. Interplay between the ferroelectric state conversion and intermediate relaxor state is governed by the dynamics of polarization relaxation. The presented E-T phase diagrammore » revealed the effects of the applied electric field and temperature on stability regions. This is of special interest since the Bi{sub 0.5}(Na{sub 0.1}K{sub 0.9}){sub 0.5}TiO{sub 3} ceramics were proposed as a potential piezoceramic material.« less

  1. Why is the electrocaloric effect so small in ferroelectrics?

    DOE PAGES

    Guzmán-Verri, G. G.; Littlewood, P. B.

    2016-05-19

    Ferroelectrics are attractive candidate materials for environmentally friendly solid state refrigeration free of greenhouse gases. Their thermal response upon variations of external electric fields is largest in the vicinity of their phase transitions, which may occur near room temperature. The magnitude of the effect, however, is too small for useful cooling applications even when they are driven close to dielectric breakdown. Insight from microscopic theory is therefore needed to characterize materials and provide guiding principles to search for new ones with enhanced electrocaloric performance. Here, we derive from well-known microscopic models of ferroelectricity meaningful figures of merit for a widemore » class of ferroelectric materials. Such figures of merit provide insight into the relation between the strength of the effect and the characteristic interactions of ferroelectrics such as dipolar forces. We find that the long range nature of these interactions results in a small effect. A strategy is proposed to make it larger by shortening the correlation lengths of fluctuations of polarization. In addition, we bring into question other widely used but empirical figures of merit and facilitate understanding of the recently observed secondary broad peak in the electrocalorics of relaxor ferroelectrics.« less

  2. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Li, Fei; Zhang, Shujun; Yang, Tiannan

    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 propertiesmore » 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.« less

  3. First-principles studies of the local structure and relaxor behavior of Pb(Mg 1 /3Nb2 /3) O3-PbTiO3 -derived ferroelectric perovskite solid solutions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tan, Hengxin; Takenaka, Hiroyuki; Xu, Changsong; Duan, Wenhui; Grinberg, Ilya; Rappe, Andrew M.

    2018-05-01

    We have investigated the effect of transition-metal dopants on the local structure of the prototypical 0.75 Pb (Mg1 /3Nb2 /3) O3-0.25 PbTiO3 relaxor ferroelectric. We find that these dopants give rise to very different local structure and other physical properties. For example, when Mg is partially substituted by Cu or Zn, the displacement of Cu or Zn is much larger than that of Mg and is even comparable to that of Nb. The polarization of these systems is also increased, especially for the Cu-doped solution, due to the large polarizability of Cu and Zn. As a result, the predicted maximum dielectric constant temperatures Tm are increased. On the other hand, the replacement of a Ti atom with a Mo or Tc atom dramatically decreases the displacements of the cations and the polarization, and thus, the Tm values are also substantially decreased. The higher Tm cannot be explained by the conventional argument based on the ionic radii of the cations. Furthermore, we find that Cu, Mo, or Tc doping increases the cation displacement disorder. The effect of the dopants on the temperature dispersion Δ Tm , which is the change in Tm for different frequencies, is also discussed. Our findings lay the foundation for further investigations of unexplored dopants.

  4. Non-resonant electromechanical energy harvesting using inter-ferroelectric phase transitions

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Pérez Moyet, Richard; Rossetti, George A., E-mail: george.rossetti-jr@uconn.edu; Stace, Joseph

    Non-resonant electromechanical energy harvesting is demonstrated under low frequency excitation (<50 Hz) using [110]{sub C}-poled lead indium niobate-lead magnesium niobate-lead titanate relaxor ferroelectric single crystals with compositions near the morphotropic phase boundary. The efficiency of power generation at the stress-induced phase transition between domain-engineered rhombohedral and orthorhombic ferroelectric states is as much as four times greater than is obtained in the linear piezoelectric regime under identical measurement conditions but during loading below the coercive stress of the phase change. The phase transition mode of electromechanical transduction holds potential for non-resonant energy harvesting from low-frequency vibrations and does not require mechanical frequencymore » up-conversion.« less

  5. Origin of the "waterfall" effect in phonon dispersion of relaxor perovskites.

    PubMed

    Hlinka, J; Kamba, S; Petzelt, J; Kulda, J; Randall, C A; Zhang, S J

    2003-09-05

    We have undertaken an inelastic neutron scattering study of the perovskite relaxor ferroelectric Pb(Zn(1/3)Nb(2/3))O3 with 8% PbTiO3 (PZN-8%PT) in order to elucidate the origin of the previously reported unusual kink on the low frequency transverse phonon dispersion curve (known as the "waterfall effect"). We show that its position (q(wf)) depends on the choice of the Brillouin zone and that the relation of q(wf) to the size of the polar nanoregions is highly improbable. The waterfall phenomenon is explained in the framework of a simple model of coupled damped harmonic oscillators representing the acoustic and optic phonon branches.

  6. Scanning Probe Microscopy and Electrical Transport Studies of Ferroelectric Thin Films and 2D van der Waals Materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xiao, Zhiyong

    In this dissertation, I present the scanning microscopy and electrical transport studies of ferroelectric thin films and ferroic/2D van der Waals heterostructures. Based on the conducting probe atomic force microscopy and piezo-response force microscopy (PFM) studies of the static and dynamic behavior of ferroelectric domain walls (DW), we found that the ferroelectric polymer poly(vinylidene-fluoride-trifluorethylene) P(VDF-TrFE) is composed of two-dimensional (2D) ferroelectric monolayers (MLs) that are weakly coupled to each other. We also observed polarization asymmetry in epitaxial thin films of ferroelectric Pb(Zr,Ti)O3, which is attributed to the screening properties of the underlying conducting oxide. PFM studies also reveal ferroelectric relaxor-type behavior in ultrathin Sr(Zr,Ti)O3 films epitaxially deposited on Ge. We exploited scanning-probe-controlled domain patterning in a P(VDF-TrFE) top layer to induce nonvolatile modulation of the conduction characteristic of ML molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) between a transistor and a junction state. In the presence of a DW, MoS2 exhibits rectified Ids-Vds (IV) characteristics that are well described by the thermionic emission model. This approach can be applied to a wide range of van der Waals materials to design various functional homojunctions and nanostructures. We also studied the interfacial charge transfer effect between graphene and magnetoelectric Cr2O3 via electrostatic force microscopy and Kelvin probe force microscopy, which reveal p-type doping with up to 150 meV shift of the Fermi level. The graphene/Cr2O3 heterostructure is promising for developing magnetoelectric graphene transistors for spintronic applications.

  7. Note: High-power piezoelectric transformer fabricated with ternary relaxor ferroelectric Pb(Mg(1/3)Nb(2/3))O3-Pb(In(1/2)Nb(1/2))O3-PbTiO3 single crystal.

    PubMed

    Wang, Qing; Ma, Chuanguo; Wang, Feifei; Liu, Bao; Chen, Jianwei; Luo, Haosu; Wang, Tao; Shi, Wangzhou

    2016-03-01

    A plate-shaped piezoelectric transformer was designed and fabricated using ternary relaxor ferroelectric single crystal Pb(Mg(1/3)Nb(2/3))O3-Pb(In(1/2)Nb(1/2))O3-PbTiO3. Both the input and output sections utilized the transverse-extensional vibration mode. The frequency and load dependences of the electrical properties for the proposed transformer were systematically studied. Results indicated that under a matching load resistance of 14.9 kΩ, a maximum output power of 2.56 W was obtained with the temperature rise less than 5 °C. The corresponding power density reached up to 50 W/cm(3). This ternary single-crystal transformer had potential applications in compact-size converters requiring high power density.

  8. Structural transformation in antiferroelectric PbZrO3-relaxor ferroelectric Pb(Ni1/3Nb2/3)O3 solid solution system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wirunchit, S.; Vittayakorn, N.

    2008-07-01

    The solid solution between the antiferroelectric (AFE) PbZrO3 (PZ) and the relaxor ferroelectric (FE) Pb(Ni1/3Nb2/3)O3 (PNN) was synthesized by the columbite precursor method. The crystal structure, phase transformations, and dielectric and thermal properties of (1-x )PZ-xPNN where x =0.00-0.30 were investigated. With these data, the FE phase diagram between PZ and PNN has been established. The crystal structure data obtained from X-ray diffraction indicate that the solid solution PZ-PNN, where x =0.00-0.30, successively transforms from orthorhombic to rhombohedral symmetry with an increase in the PNN concentration. The AFE phase→FE phase transition occurs in compositions of 0.00⩽x⩽0.08. The AFE →FE phase transition shifts to lower temperatures with higher compositions of x. The FE phase temperature range width increases with increased PNN. Apparently the replacement of the Zr4+ ion by Ni2+/Nb5+ ions decreases the driving force for an antiparallel shift of Pb2+ ions because they interrupt the translational symmetry and facilitates the appearance of a rhombohedral FE phase when the amount of PNN is higher than 8mol%.

  9. Possible ferroelectricity in perovskite oxynitride SrTaO2N epitaxial thin films

    PubMed Central

    Oka, Daichi; Hirose, Yasushi; Kamisaka, Hideyuki; Fukumura, Tomoteru; Sasa, Kimikazu; Ishii, Satoshi; Matsuzaki, Hiroyuki; Sato, Yukio; Ikuhara, Yuichi; Hasegawa, Tetsuya

    2014-01-01

    Compressively strained SrTaO2N thin films were epitaxially grown on SrTiO3 substrates using nitrogen plasma-assisted pulsed laser deposition. Piezoresponse force microscopy measurements revealed small domains (101–102 nm) that exhibited classical ferroelectricity, a behaviour not previously observed in perovskite oxynitrides. The surrounding matrix region exhibited relaxor ferroelectric-like behaviour, with remanent polarisation invoked by domain poling. First-principles calculations suggested that the small domains and the surrounding matrix had trans-type and a cis-type anion arrangements, respectively. These experiments demonstrate the promise of tailoring the functionality of perovskite oxynitrides by modifying the anion arrangements by using epitaxial strain.

  10. Local strain heterogeneity and elastic relaxation dynamics associated with relaxor behavior in the single-crystal perovskite Pb (I n1 /2N b1 /2 ) O3-PbZr O3-Pb (M g1 /3N b2 /3 ) O3-PbTi O3

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    He, Wenhui; Carpenter, Michael A.; Lampronti, Giulio I.; Li, Qiang; Yan, Qingfeng

    2017-10-01

    Recently, Pb (In1/2Nb1/2 ) O3-PbZr O3-Pb (Mg1/3Nb2/3 ) O3-PbTiO3 (PIN-PZ-PMN-PT) relaxor single crystals were demonstrated to possess improved temperature-insensitive properties, which would be desirable for high-power device applications. The relaxor character associated with the development of local random fields (RFs) and a high rhombohedral-tetragonal (R-T) ferroelectric transition temperature (TR-T>120°C) would be critical for the excellent properties. A significant effect of the chemical substitution of In3+ and Zr4+ in PMN-PT to give PIN-PZ-PMN-PT is the development of local strain heterogeneity, which acts to suppress the development of macroscopic shear strains without suppressing the development of local ferroelectric moments and contribute substantially to the RFs in PIN-PZ-PMN-PT. Measurements of elastic and anelastic properties by resonant ultrasound spectroscopy show that PIN-PZ-PMN-PT crystal has a quite different form of elastic anomaly due to Vogel-Fulcher freezing, rather than the a discrete cubic-T transition seen in a single crystal of PMN-28PT. It also has high acoustic loss of the relaxor phase down to TR-T. Analysis of piezoresponse force microscopy phase images at different temperatures provides a quantitative insight into the extent to which the RFs influence the microdomain structure and the short-range order correlation length 〈ξ 〉 .

  11. Electric field cycling behavior of ferroelectric hafnium oxide.

    PubMed

    Schenk, Tony; Schroeder, Uwe; Pešić, Milan; Popovici, Mihaela; Pershin, Yuriy V; Mikolajick, Thomas

    2014-11-26

    HfO2 based ferroelectrics are lead-free, simple binary oxides with nonperovskite structure and low permittivity. They just recently started attracting attention of theoretical groups in the fields of ferroelectric memories and electrostatic supercapacitors. A modified approach of harmonic analysis is introduced for temperature-dependent studies of the field cycling behavior and the underlying defect mechanisms. Activation energies for wake-up and fatigue are extracted. Notably, all values are about 100 meV, which is 1 order of magnitude lower than for conventional ferroelectrics like lead zirconate titanate (PZT). This difference is mainly atttributed to the one to two orders of magnitude higher electric fields used for cycling and to the different surface to volume ratios between the 10 nm thin films in this study and the bulk samples of former measurements or simulations. Moreover, a new, analog-like split-up effect of switching peaks by field cycling is discovered and is explained by a network model based on memcapacitive behavior as a result of defect redistribution.

  12. Structural evolution in three and four-layer Aurivillius solid solutions: A comparative study versus relaxor properties

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tellier, Jenny; Boullay, Philippe; Ben Jennet, Dorra; Mercurio, Daniele

    2008-02-01

    Two solid solutions of three-layer Ba xBi 4- xNb xTi 3- xO 12 (0 ≤ x ≤ 1.2) and four-layer Aurivillius compounds (Na 0.5Bi 0.5) 1- xBa xBi 4Ti 4O 15 (0 ≤ x ≤ 1), which both present a ferroelectric to relaxor-like transition with increasing x, were synthesized by solid state reaction. The evolution of their crystal structures, as a function of x, was performed using Rietveld refinements from X-ray powder diffraction data. As x increases, the average crystal structures become less distorted with respect to the archetypal high temperature tetragonal one and the coordination number of Bi 3+ in M 2O 2 layers continuously changes from {4 + 2} to {4}. The relaxor behaviour which appears in samples for a tolerance factor t > 0.96 is associated with a general static disorder in A and M sites together with the presence of some Ba 2+ cations in M 2O 2 layers (less than 10%).

  13. Bulk dielectric and magnetic properties of PFW-PZT ceramics: absence of magnetically switched-off polarization.

    PubMed

    Kempa, M; Kamba, S; Savinov, M; Maryško, M; Frait, Z; Vaněk, P; Tomczyk, M; Vilarinho, P M

    2010-11-10

    We investigated ceramics samples of solid solutions of [PbFe(2/3)W(1/3)O(3)](x)-[PbZr(0.53)Ti(0.47)O(3)](1 - x) (PFW(x)-PZT(1 - x), x = 0.2 and 0.3) by means of broad-band dielectric spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and SQUID magnetometry. We did not confirm the observations of Kumar et al (2009 J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 21 382204), who reported on reversible suppression of ferroelectric polarization in polycrystalline PFW(x)-PZT(1 - x) thin films for magnetic fields above 0.5 T. We did not observe any change of ferroelectric polarization with external magnetic fields up to 3.2 T. Pirc et al (2009 Phys. Rev. B 79 214114) developed a theory explaining the reported large magnetoelectric effect in PFW(x)-PZT(1 - x), taking into account relaxor magnetic and relaxor ferroelectric properties of the system. Our data revealed classical ferroelectric properties below 525 K and 485 K in samples with x = 0.2 and 0.3, respectively. Moreover, paramagnetic behavior was observed down to 4.5 K instead of previously reported relaxor magnetic behavior. It seems that the reported switching-off of ferroelectric polarization in PFW(x)-PZT(1 - x) thin films is not an intrinsic property, but probably an effect of electrodes, interlayers, grain boundaries or second phases presented in polycrystalline thin films.

  14. Octahedral tilt transitions in the relaxor ferroelectric Na{sub 1/2}Bi{sub 1/2}TiO{sub 3}

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Meyer, Kai-Christian, E-mail: meyer@mm.tu-darmstadt.de; Gröting, Melanie; Albe, Karsten

    2015-07-15

    The kinetics of octahedral tilt transitions in the lead-free relaxor material sodium bismuth titanate Na{sub 1/2}Bi{sub 1/2}TiO{sub 3} (NBT) is investigated by electronic structure calculations within density functional theory. Energy barriers for transitions between tetragonal, rhombohedral and orthorhombic tilts in cation configurations with [001]- and [111]-order on the A-sites are determined by nudged elastic band calculations. By tilting entire layers of octahedra simultaneously we find that the activation energy is lower for structures with 001-order compared to such with 111-order. The energetic coupling between differently tilted layers is, however, negligibly small. By introducing a single octahedral defect we create localmore » tilt disorder and find that the deformation energy of the neighboring octahedra is less in a rhombohedral than in a tetragonal structure. By successively increasing the size of clusters of orthorhombic defects in a rhombohedral matrix with 001-order, we determine a critical cluster size of about 40 Å . Thus groups of about ten octahedra can be considered as nuclei for polar nanoregions, which are the cause of the experimentally observed relaxor behavior of NBT. - Graphical abstract: Nine orthorhombic oxygen octahedral tilt defects in a rhombohedral tilt configuration. - Highlights: • Chemical order influences energy barriers of octahedral tilt transitions. • The octahedral deformation energy is lower in rhombohedral phases. • Tilt defect clusters are more likely in rhombohedral structures. • Tilt defect clusters can act as nuclei for polar nanoregions.« less

  15. High energy-storage performance of 0.9Pb(Mg{sub 1/3}Nb{sub 2/3})O{sub 3}-0.1PbTiO{sub 3} relaxor ferroelectric thin films prepared by RF magnetron sputtering

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Wang, Xiaolin; Zhang, Le; Hao, Xihong, E-mail: xhhao@imust.cn

    2015-05-15

    Highlights: • High-quality PMN-PT 90/10 RFE thin films were prepared by RF magnetron sputtering. • The maximum discharged density of 31.3 J/cm{sup 3} was obtained in the 750-nm-thick film. • PMN-PT RFE films might be a promising material for energy-storage application. - Abstract: 0.9Pb(Mg{sub 1/3}Nb{sub 2/3})O{sub 3}-0.1PbTiO{sub 3} (PMN-PT 90/10) relaxor ferroelectric thin films with different thicknesses were deposited on the LaNiO{sub 3}/Si (100) by the radio-frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering technique. The effects of thickness and deposition temperature on the microstructure, dielectric properties and the energy-storage performance of the thin films were investigated in detail. X-ray diffraction spectra indicated thatmore » the thin films had crystallized into a pure perovskite phase with a (100)-preferred orientation after annealed at 700 °C. Moreover, all the PMN-PT 90/10 thin films showed the uniform and crack-free surface microstructure. As a result, a larger recoverable energy density of 31.3 J/cm{sup 3} was achieved in the 750-nm-thick film under 2640 kV/cm at room temperature. Thus, PMN-PT 90/10 relaxor thin films are the promising candidate for energy-storage capacitor application.« less

  16. Electromechanical properties of Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3-SrTiO3-PbTiO3 solid solutions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Svirskas, Šarūnas; Dunce, Marija; Birks, Eriks; Sternberg, Andris; Banys, Jūras

    2018-03-01

    Thorough studies of electric field-induced strain are presented in 0.4Na1/2Bi1/2TiO3-(0.6-x)SrTiO3-xPbTiO3 (NBT-ST-PT) ternary solid solutions. The increase of concentration of lead x induces crossover from relaxor to ferroelectric. Strain in a relaxor state can be described by electrostrictive behavior. The electrostrictive coefficients correspond to other well-known relaxor ferroelectrics. The concentration region with a stable ferroelectric phase revealed that the polarization dependence of strain does not exhibit nonlinearity, although they are inherent to the electric field dependence of strain. In this case, electric field dependence of strain is described in terms of the Rayleigh law and the role of domain wall contribution is extracted. Finally, the character of strain at the electric field-induced phase transition between the nonpolar and the ferroelectric states is studied. The data shows that in the vicinity of the electric field induced phase transition the strain vs. electric field displays electrostrictive character.

  17. Study of the structure, dielectric and ferroelectric behavior of BaBi{sub 4+δ}Ti{sub 4}O{sub 15} ceramics

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Khokhar, Anita, E-mail: mails4anita@gmail.com, E-mail: goyalphy@gmail.com; Goyal, Parveen K., E-mail: mails4anita@gmail.com, E-mail: goyalphy@gmail.com; Sreenivas, K.

    2016-05-23

    The structure and ferroelectric properties of excess bismuth doped barium bismuth titanate BaBi{sub 4+δ}Ti{sub 4}O{sub 15} (δ = 2 - 10 wt.%)) ceramics prepared by solid-state reaction method have been investigated. X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirms the formation of a single phase material with a change in the orthorhombic distortion with varying excess of bismuth content. There is no change in the phase transition temperature (T{sub m}) while the relaxor behaviour has been modified significantly with excess of bismuth doping. Saturated hysteresis loops with high remnant polarization (P{sub r} ~ 12.5  µC/cm{sup 2}), low coercive fields (E{sub c} ~ 26 kV/cm) aremore » measured and a high piezoelectric coefficient (d{sub 33} ~ 29 pC/N) is achieved in poled BaBi{sub 4}Ti{sub 4}O{sub 15} ceramics prepared with up to 8 wt.% of excess bismuth oxide. The improvement in the ferroelectric properties with increase in the excess bismuth content in BaBi{sub 4}Ti{sub 4}O{sub 15} ceramics has been explained in terms of changing oxygen vacancy concentration and structural relaxation. Tunable ferroelectric materials can be obtained by manipulating the doping amount of excess bismuth.« less

  18. In situ transmission electron microscopy study of the microstructural origins for the electric field-induced phenomena in ferroelectric perovskites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Guo, Hanzheng

    an unusual behavior is attributed to the electric field-induced irreversible P4bm nanodomains coalescence into thin lamellar domains prior to the phase transition. In the (K0.5 Na0.5)NbO3-based ceramics, as demonstrated by an archetypical polymorphic phase boundary (PPB) composition of 0.948(K 0.5Na0.5)NbO3-0.052LiSbO3, the origin of the excellent piezoelectric performance is due to a tilted monoclinic phase that emerges from the tetragonal and orthorhombic PPB at the poling fields beyond 14 kV/cm. This monoclinic phase, as manifested by the appearance of blotchy domains and 1/2{oeo} superlattice diffraction spots, was determined to possess a Pm symmetry with a 0b+c0 oxygen octahedra tilting and antiparallel cation displacements. For the PPB composition of x = 0.5 in the (1-x)Ba(Zr0.2Ti0.8 )O3-x(Ba0.7Ca0.3)TiO 3 solid solution system, the original multi-domain state was found to transform into a unique single-domain state with orthorhombic symmetry at very moderate poling fields of 3 6 kV/cm. This single-domain state is suggested to be primarily responsible for the observed large piezoelectricity due to its significant elastic softening. In the electrical reversal process, a highly unusual phenomenon of electric field-induced ferroelectric-to-relaxor phase transition was directly observed in a lead-free composition of [(Bi1/2Na1/2)0.95 Ba0.05]0.98La0.02TiO3. It is manifested by the disruption of large ferroelectric domains with long range polar order into polar nanodomains with short range orders when the polarity of electric field is reversed. This observation was further rationalized by a phenomenological model that takes the large difference in kinetics between the phase transition and the polarization reversal processes into account. During the electrical cycling process, the microstructural mechanisms for electric fatigue behaviors of two ceramics were investigated. In 0.7Pb(Mg 1/3Nb2/3)O3-0.3PbTiO3, the frozen domain configuration after 103 cycles is

  19. Polarization-coupled tunable resistive behavior in oxide ferroelectric heterostructures

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Gruverman, Alexei; Tsymbal, Evgeny Y.; Eom, Chang-Beom

    2017-05-03

    This research focuses on investigation of the physical mechanism of the electrically and mechanically tunable resistive behavior in oxide ferroelectric heterostructures with engineered interfaces realized via a strong coupling of ferroelectric polarization with tunneling electroresistance and metal-insulator (M-I) transitions. This report describes observation of electrically conductive domain walls in semiconducting ferroelectrics, voltage-free control of resistive switching and demonstration of a new mechanism of electrical control of 2D electron gas (2DEG) at oxide interfaces. The research goals are achieved by creating strong synergy between cutting-edge fabrication of epitaxial single-crystalline complex oxides, nanoscale electrical characterization by scanning probe microscopy and theoretical modelingmore » of the observed phenomena. The concept of the ferroelectric devices with electrically and mechanically tunable nonvolatile resistance represents a new paradigm shift in realization of the next-generation of non-volatile memory devices and low-power logic switches.« less

  20. Structure and phase formation behavior and dielectric and magnetic properties of lead iron tantalate-lead zirconate titanate multiferroic ceramics

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Wongmaneerung, R., E-mail: re_nok@yahoo.com; Tipakontitikul, R.; Jantaratana, P.

    2016-03-15

    Highlights: • The multiferroic ceramics consisted of PFT and PZT. • Crystal structure changed from cubic to mixedcubic and tetragonal with increasing PZT content. • Dielectric showed the samples underwent a typical relaxor ferroelectric behavior. • Magnetic properties showed very interesting behavior with square saturated magnetic hysteresis loops. - Abstract: Multiferroic (1 − x)Pb(Fe{sub 0.5}Ta{sub 0.5})O{sub 3}–xPb(Zr{sub 0.53}Ti{sub 0.47})O{sub 3} (or PFT–PZT) ceramics were synthesized by solid-state reaction method. The crystal structure and phase formation of the ceramics were examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The local structure surrounding Fe and Ti absorbing atoms was investigated by synchrotron X-ray Absorption Near-Edgemore » Structure (XANES) measurement. Dielectric properties were studied as a function of frequency and temperature using a LCR meter. A vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) was used to determine the magnetic hysteresis loops. XRD study indicated that the crystal structure of the sample changed from pure cubic to mixed cubic and tetragonal with increasing PZT content. XANES measurements showed that the local structure surrounding Fe and Ti ions was similar. Dielectric study showed that the samples underwent a typical relaxor ferroelectric behavior while the magnetic properties showed very interesting behavior with square saturated magnetic hysteresis loops.« less

  1. Simultaneous Stress and Field Control of Sustainable Switching of Ferroelectric Phases

    PubMed Central

    Finkel, P.; Staruch, M.; Amin, A.; Ahart, M.; Lofland, S.E.

    2015-01-01

    In ferroelectrics, manifestation of a strong electromechanical coupling is attributed to both engineered domain morphology and phase transformations. However, realization of large sustainable and reversible strains and polarization rotation has been limited by fatigue, nonlinearity and hysteresis losses. Here, we demonstrate that large strain and polarization rotation can be generated for over 40 × 106 cycles with little fatigue by realization of a reversible ferroelectric-ferroelectric phase transition in [011] cut Pb(In1/2Nb1/2)O3-Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-PbTiO3 (PIN-PMN-PT) relaxor ferroelectric single crystal. Direct tuning of this effect through combination of stress and applied electric field, confirmed both macroscopically and microscopically with x-ray and Raman scattering, reveals the local symmetry while sweeping through the transition with a low applied electric field (<0.2 MV/m) under mechanical stress. The observed change in local symmetry as determined by x-ray scattering confirms a proposed polarization rotation mechanism corresponding to a transition between rhombohedral and orthorhombic phases. These results shed more light onto the nature of this reversible transformation between two ferroelectric phases and advance towards the development of a wide range of ferroic and multiferroic devices. PMID:26345729

  2. Nanoscale mapping of heterogeneity of the polarization reversal in lead-free relaxor–ferroelectric ceramic composites

    DOE PAGES

    Gobeljic, D.; Shvartsman, V. V.; Belianinov, A.; ...

    2016-01-05

    Relaxor/ferroelectric ceramic/ceramic composites have shown to be promising in generating large electromechanical strain at moderate electric fields. However, the mechanisms of polarization and strain coupling between grains of different nature in the composites remain unclear. To rationalize the coupling mechanisms we performed advanced piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) studies of 0.92BNT-0.06BT-0.02KNN/0.93BNT-0.07BT (ergodic/non-ergodic relaxor) composites. PFM is able to distinguish grains of different phases by characteristic domain patterns. Polarization switching has been probed locally, on a sub-grain scale. k-Means clustering analysis applied to arrays of local hysteresis loops reveals variations of polarization switching characteristics between the ergodic and non-ergodic relaxor grains. Here,more » we report a different set of switching parameters for grains in the composites as opposed to the pure phase samples. These results confirm ceramic/ceramic composites to be a viable approach to tailor the piezoelectric properties and optimize the macroscopic electromechanical characteristics.« less

  3. Low temperature anomalous field effect in SrxBa1-xNb2O6 uniaxial relaxor ferroelectric seen via acoustic emission

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dul'kin, E.; Kojima, S.; Roth, M.

    2012-04-01

    Sr0.75Ba0.25Nb2O6 [100]-oriented uniaxial tungsten bronze relaxor crystals have been studied by means of dedicated acoustic emission during their thermal cycling in 150-300 K temperature range under dc electric field (E). A 1st order transition in a modulated incommensurate tetragonal phase has been successfully detected at Tmi = 198 K on heating and Tmi = 184 K on cooling, respectively. As field E enhances, a thermal hysteresis gradually narrows and vanishes in the critical point at Eth = 0.31 kV/cm, above which a phase transition becomes to 2nd order. The Tmi(E) dependence looks as a V-shape dip, not similar that previously has been looked as a smeared minimum between both the two polar and nonpolar tetragonal phases near Tm = 220 ÷ 230 K in the same crystals (Dul'kin et al., J Appl. Phys. 110, 044106 (2011)). Due to such a V-shape dip is characteristic for Pb-based multiaxial perovskite relaxor, a rhombohedral phase is waited to be induced by a field E in the critical point temperature range. The emergence of this rhombohedral phase as a crucial evidence of an orthorhombic phase presumably existing within the modulated incommensurate tetragonal phase in tungsten bronze SrxBa1-xNb2O6 relaxor is discussed.

  4. Room-temperature relaxor ferroelectricity and photovoltaic effects in tin titanate directly deposited on a silicon substrate

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Agarwal, Radhe; Sharma, Yogesh; Chang, Siliang; Pitike, Krishna C.; Sohn, Changhee; Nakhmanson, Serge M.; Takoudis, Christos G.; Lee, Ho Nyung; Tonelli, Rachel; Gardner, Jonathan; Scott, James F.; Katiyar, Ram S.; Hong, Seungbum

    2018-02-01

    Tin titanate (SnTi O3 ) has been notoriously impossible to prepare as a thin-film ferroelectric, probably because high-temperature annealing converts much of the S n2 + to S n4 + . In the present paper, we show two things: first, perovskite phase SnTi O3 can be prepared by atomic-layer deposition directly onto p -type Si substrates; and second, these films exhibit ferroelectric switching at room temperature, with p -type Si acting as electrodes. X-ray diffraction measurements reveal that the film is single-phase, preferred-orientation ferroelectric perovskite SnTi O3 . Our films showed well-saturated, square, and repeatable hysteresis loops of around 3 μ C /c m2 remnant polarization at room temperature, as detected by out-of-plane polarization versus electric field and field cycling measurements. Furthermore, photovoltaic and photoferroelectricity were found in Pt /SnTi O3/Si /SnTi O3/Pt heterostructures, the properties of which can be tuned through band-gap engineering by strain according to first-principles calculations. This is a lead-free room-temperature ferroelectric oxide of potential device application.

  5. Room-temperature relaxor ferroelectricity and photovoltaic effects in tin titanate directly deposited on a silicon substrate

    DOE PAGES

    Agarwal, Radhe; Sharma, Yogesh; Chang, Siliang; ...

    2018-02-20

    Tin titanate (SnTiO 3) has been notoriously impossible to prepare as a thin-film ferroelectric, probably because high-temperature annealing converts much of the Sn 2+ to Sn 4+. In the present paper, we show two things: first, perovskite phase SnTiO 3 can be prepared by atomic-layer deposition directly onto p-type Si substrates; and second, these films exhibit ferroelectric switching at room temperature, with p-type Si acting as electrodes. X-ray diffraction measurements reveal that the film is single-phase, preferred-orientation ferroelectric perovskite SnTiO 3. Our films showed well-saturated, square, and repeatable hysteresis loops of around 3μC/cm 2 remnant polarization at room temperature, asmore » detected by out-of-plane polarization versus electric field and field cycling measurements. Furthermore, photovoltaic and photoferroelectricity were found in Pt/SnTiO 3/Si/SnTiO 3/Pt heterostructures, the properties of which can be tuned through band-gap engineering by strain according to first-principles calculations. In conclusion, this is a lead-free room-temperature ferroelectric oxide of potential device application.« less

  6. Room-temperature relaxor ferroelectricity and photovoltaic effects in tin titanate directly deposited on a silicon substrate

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Agarwal, Radhe; Sharma, Yogesh; Chang, Siliang

    Tin titanate (SnTiO 3) has been notoriously impossible to prepare as a thin-film ferroelectric, probably because high-temperature annealing converts much of the Sn 2+ to Sn 4+. In the present paper, we show two things: first, perovskite phase SnTiO 3 can be prepared by atomic-layer deposition directly onto p-type Si substrates; and second, these films exhibit ferroelectric switching at room temperature, with p-type Si acting as electrodes. X-ray diffraction measurements reveal that the film is single-phase, preferred-orientation ferroelectric perovskite SnTiO 3. Our films showed well-saturated, square, and repeatable hysteresis loops of around 3μC/cm 2 remnant polarization at room temperature, asmore » detected by out-of-plane polarization versus electric field and field cycling measurements. Furthermore, photovoltaic and photoferroelectricity were found in Pt/SnTiO 3/Si/SnTiO 3/Pt heterostructures, the properties of which can be tuned through band-gap engineering by strain according to first-principles calculations. In conclusion, this is a lead-free room-temperature ferroelectric oxide of potential device application.« less

  7. Synthesis, microstructure and dielectric properties of zirconium doped barium titanate

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kumar, Rohtash; School of Physical Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi; Asokan, K.

    2016-05-23

    We report on synthesis, microstructural and relaxor ferroelectric properties of Zirconium(Zr) doped Barium Titanate (BT) samples with general formula Ba(Ti{sub 1-x}Zr{sub x})O{sub 3} (x=0.20, 0.35). These lead-free ceramics were prepared by solid state reaction route. The phase transition behavior and temperature dependent dielectric properties and composition dependent ferroelectric properties were investigated. XRD analysis at room temperature confirms phase purity of the samples. SEM observations revealed retarded grain growth with increasing Zr mole fraction. Dielectric properties of BZT ceramics is influenced significantly by small addition of Zr mole fraction. With increasing Zr mole fraction, dielectric constant decreases while FWHM and frequencymore » dispersion increases. Polarization vs electric field hysteresis measurements reveal ferroelectric relaxor phase at room temperature. The advantages of such substitution maneuvering towards optimizing ferroelectric properties of BaTiO{sub 3} are discussed.« less

  8. Electrical Properties of Barium and Zirconium Modified NBT Ferroelectric Ceramics

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Rao, K. Sambasiva; Tilak, B.; Swathi, A.

    2011-11-22

    Recently a new wave of interest has risen on relaxor ferroelectrics with complex perovskite structure due to their wide use in fabrication of multilayer ceramic capacitors, electrostrictive actuators, and electromechanical transducers. The polycrystalline 0.93(Bi{sub 0.5}Na{sub 0.5})Ba{sub 0.07}Z{sub 0.04}T{sub 0.96}O{sub 3}(0.07BNBZT) ceramic material, which is in the vicinity of the morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) has been prepared by using high temperature solid state reaction method. The tolerance factor has been estimated and found to be 0.815. XRD analysis revealed a rhombohedral perovskite type structure. SEM micrographs showed highly dense grains with rectangular shape. The average grain size is found to bemore » 1.51{mu}m. Dielectric studies in the material ha indicated relaxor behaviour with diffuse phase transition. High value of {epsilon}{sub m}>1958 is found at 1kHz, Tm (phase transition temperature) 335 deg. C, The diffuseness parameter was established to be 1.60 revealing the relaxor behaviour. Further, to confirm the relaxor behaviour in the material, Vogel-Fulcher (V-F) relation has been used. Estimated V-F parameters are found to be T{sub f} = 138 deg. C, E{sub a} = 0.080 eV and {nu}{sub o} = 2.32x10{sup 8} Hz. Cole-Cole analysis has shown a non-Debye type relaxation in the system. Conductivity studies in the material obeyed the Jonscher's power law in frequency range of (45Hz-5MHz) and temperature range of (35 deg. C - 600 deg. C). The electric conduction in the system may be due to hopping/mobility/ transportation of charge carriers.« less

  9. The effects of PbZn1/3Nb2/3O3-doping on structural, thermal, optical, dielectric, and ferroelectric properties of BaTiO3 ceramics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Suchanicz, J.; Świerczek, K.; Sitko, D.; Czaja, P.; Marchet, P.; Czternastek, H.; Majda, D.

    2017-09-01

    Low-lead (1-x)BT-xPZN (x = 0, 0.025, 0.05, 0.075, 0.10, 0.125, and 0.15) ceramics were successfully synthesized by the spark-plasma-sintering method for the first time. Their phase transition behavior as well as structural, thermal, optical, and electrical properties was investigated. These materials exhibit the structure of perovskite-type solid solutions and undergo a sequence of phase transitions, typical of pure BaTiO3 (BT). The dielectric test results revealed that with the increase in the PbZn1/3Nb2/3O3 (PZN) content, the frequency dispersion of electric permittivity increases, whilst the dielectric/ferroelectric properties tend to deteriorate, which is characteristic of relaxor-type behavior. Therefore, it is reasonable to suppose that these ceramics progressively lack long-range ordering. These effects are due to the competition between lone-pair electrons' induced changes in the A-O band upon Pb2+ addition and ionic size differences. In general, the transition temperatures observed by dielectric analyses are in good agreement with those obtained from X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry measurements. The BT-PZN system may help to understand why relaxor behavior appears in perovskite-based materials. It appears that these materials can become a good starting point for the development of new low-lead electronic ceramics.

  10. Temperature evolution of the local order parameter in relaxor ferroelectrics (1 - x)PMN-xPZT

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gridnev, S. A.; Glazunov, A. A.; Tsotsorin, A. N.

    2005-09-01

    The temperature dependence of the local order parameter and relaxation time distribution function have been determined in (1 - x)PMN-xPZT ceramic samples via dielectric permittivity. Above the Burns temperature, the permittivity was found to follow the Currie-Weiss law, and with temperature decreasing the deviation was observed to increase. A local order parameter was calculated from the dielectric data using a modified Landau-Devonshire approach. These results are compared to the distribution function of relaxation times. It was found that a glasslike freezing of reorientable polar clusters occurs in the temperature range of diffuse relaxor transition. The evolution of the studied system to more ordered state arises from the increased PZT content.

  11. High discharge efficiency of (Sr, Pb, Bi) TiO3 relaxor ceramics for energy-storage application

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chao, Mingming; Liu, Jingsong; Zeng, Mengshi; Wang, Debin; Yu, Hongtao; Yuan, Ying; Zhang, Shuren

    2018-05-01

    We report herein on the energy storage and discharge properties of the relaxor ferroelectric ceramic Sr0.8Pb0.1Bi0.1TiO3 (SPBT). This material has a slanted hysteresis loop, and all samples show low remnant polarization and low coercive field, which leads to a high discharge efficiency. The maximum polarization is 10.1 μC/cm2, the minimum coercive field is 0.229 kV/cm, and the maximum efficiency is 94.2%. The discharge current waveforms are sinusoidal, the first discharge period is 140 ns, and the power density is approximately 4.2 × 107 W/kg. The high discharge speed and high discharge power density indicate that SPBT ceramics are very promising materials for energy storage applications.

  12. Heterogeneous Polarized States in Ferroelectric Inclusions in a Ferroelectric-Dielectric Nanocomposite

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nechaev, V. N.; Viskovatykh, A. V.

    2018-06-01

    The behavior of the previously observed inhomogeneous polarized states in ferroelectric inclusions of the nanocomposite is analyzed in detail. The domain structure of ferroelectric particles depends on the temperature and nature of interaction with the dielectric matrix. The possibility of controlling the domain structure in ferroelectric particles using an external electric field is shown.

  13. Coexistence of Antiferromagnetic and Spin Cluster Glass Order in the Magnetoelectric Relaxor Multiferroic PbFe0.5Nb0.5O3

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kleemann, W.; Shvartsman, V. V.; Borisov, P.; Kania, A.

    2010-12-01

    The coexistence of cluster glass with long-range antiferromagnetic order in the relaxor ferroelectric PbFe0.5Nb0.5O3 is elucidated. While the transition at TN=153K on the infinite antiferromagnetic cluster induces 3m symmetry with large EH2 magnetoelectric response, the disconnected subspace of isolated Fe3+ ions and finite clusters accommodates the cluster glass below Tg=10.6K with field-induced m' symmetry and EH-type magnetoelectric response. Critical slowing-down, memory and rejuvenation after aging, occurrence of a de Almeida-Thouless phase line, and stretched exponential relaxation of remanence corroborate the glass nature.

  14. Antiferroelectric-ferroelectric phase transition in lead zinc niobate modified lead zirconate ceramics: crystal studies, microstructure, thermal and electrical properties

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sukkha, Usa; Muanghlua, Rangson; Niemcharoen, Surasak; Boonchoma, Banjong; Vittayakorn, Naratip

    2010-08-01

    The combination of antiferroelectric PbZrO3 (PZ) and relaxor ferroelectric Pb(Zn1/3Nb2/3)O3 was prepared via the columbite precursor method. The basic characterizations were performed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), linear thermal expansion, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) techniques, dielectric spectroscopy, and hysteresis measurement. The XRD result indicated that the solid solubility limit of the (1- x)PZ- xPZN system was about x=0.40. The crystal structure of (1- x)PZ- xPZN transformed from orthorhombic to rhombohedral symmetry when the concentration of PZN was increased. A ferroelectric intermediate phase began to appear between the paraelectric and antiferroelectric phases of pure PZ, with increasing PZN content. In addition, the temperature range of the ferroelectric phase increased with increasing PZN concentration. The morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) in this system was located close to the composition, x=0.20.

  15. Structural and relaxor-like dielectric properties of unfilled tungsten bronzes Ba5-5xSm5xTi5xNb10-5xO30

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wei, T.; Dong, Z.; Zhao, C. Z.; Guo, Y. Y.; Zhou, Q. J.; Li, Z. P.

    2016-03-01

    New unfilled tetragonal tungsten bronze (TTB) oxides, Ba5-5xSm5xTi5xNb10-5xO30 (BSTN-x), where 0.10 ≤ x ≤ 0.35, have been synthesized in this work. Their crystal structure was determined and analyzed based on Rietveld structural refinement. It is found that single TTB phase can be formed in a particular x range (i.e., 0.15 ≤ x ≤ 0.3) due to the competition interaction between tolerance factor and electronegativity difference. Furthermore, dielectric and ferroelectric results indicate that phase transitions and ferroelectric states are sensitive to x. Referring to the local chemistry, we suggest that the raise of vacancies at the A2-site compared with that of A1-site will intensely depress the normal ferroelectric phase and is in favor of relaxor ferroelectric state. Macroscopically, previous A-site size difference standpoint on fill TTB compounds cannot give a reasonable explanation about the variation of dielectric maximum temperature (Tm) for present BSTN-x compounds. Alternatively, tetragonality (c/a) is adopted which can well describe the variation of Tm in whole x range. In addition, one by one correspondence between tetragonality and electrical features can be found, and the compositions involving high c/a are usually stabilized in normal ferroelectric phase. It is believed that c/a is a more appropriate parameter to illustrate the variation of ferroelectric properties for unfilled TTB system.

  16. Mechanical stress modified ferroelectric aging behavior

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xu, Tingting; Kan, Yi; Jin, Yaming; Sun, Hui; Du, Yingchao; Wu, Xiumei; Bo, Huifeng; Cai, Wei; Huang, Fengzhen; Lu, Xiaomei; Zhu, Jinsong

    2013-05-01

    Mechanical stress effect on aging behavior of Bi3.25La0.75Ti3O12 (BLT) and PbZr0.53Ti0.47O3 (PZT) films was investigated. It is found that the remnant polarization decreases with time while the coercive field increases in stress-free BLT films. For unconfined PZT films, both the remnant polarization and the coercive field decrease as time elapses. The applied tensile stress weakens the aging of remnant polarization of BLT films but strengthens the aging of coercive field, while the applied tensile stress possesses opposite effect. In contrary, the applied compressive stress simultaneously improves the aging behavior of both remnant polarization and coercive field of PZT films. Mechanical-stress-induced variation of domain wall mobility in different materials was suggested as the possible origin of these observations. This work indicates that the aging behavior modification using stress could be realized, and it is helpful for promoting the reliability of ferroelectric films for industrial applications.

  17. Scalable ferroelectric MOS capacitors comprised of single crystalline SrZrxTi1-xO3 on Ge.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Moghadam, Reza; Xiao, Z.-Y.; Ahmadi-Majlan, K.; Grimley, E.; Ong, P. V.; Lebeau, J. M.; Chambers, S. A.; Hong, X.; Sushko, P.; Ngai, J. H.

    The epitaxial growth of multifunctional oxides on semiconductors has opened a pathway to introduce new functionalities to semiconductor device technologies. In particular, ferroelectric materials integrated on semiconductors could lead to field-effect devices that require very little power to operate, or that possess both logic and memory functionalities. The development of metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) capacitors in which the polarization of a ferroelectric gate is coupled to the surface potential of a semiconducting channel is essential in order to realize such field-effect devices. Here we demonstrate that scalable, ferroelectric MOS capacitors can be realized using single crystalline SrZrxTi1-xO3 (x = 0.7) that has been epitaxially grown on Ge. Single crystalline SrZrxTi1-xO3 exhibits characteristics that are ideal for a ferroelectric gate material, namely, a type-I band offset with respect to Ge, large coercive fields and polarization that can be enhanced with electric field. The latter characteristic stems from the relaxor nature of SrZrxTi1-xO3. These properties enable MOS capacitors with 5 nm thick SrZrxTi1-xO3 layers to exhibit a nearly 2 V wide hysteretic window in the capacitance-voltage characteristics. The realization of ferroelectric MOS capacitors with technologically relevant gate thicknesses opens the pathway to practical field effect devices. NSF DMR 1508530.

  18. A comparative study of the Aurivillius phase ferroelectrics CaBi 4Ti 4O 15 and BaBi 4Ti 4O 15

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tellier, J.; Boullay, Ph.; Manier, M.; Mercurio, D.

    2004-06-01

    The room temperature structures of the four-layer Aurivillius phase ferroelectrics CaBi 4Ti 4O 15 and BaBi 4Ti 4O 15 are determined by means of single crystal X-ray diffraction. Regarding the CaBi 4Ti 4O 15 phase, in agreement with the tolerance factor, a significant deformation of the perovskite blocks is observed. The rotation system of the octahedra is typical from even layer Aurivillius phases and leads to the use of the space group A2 1am. For the BaBi 4Ti 4O 15 phase, only a weak variation with respect to the F2 mm space group can be suggested from single crystal X-ray diffraction. A significant presence of Ba atoms in the [ M2O 2] slabs is confirmed in agreement with the previous works but specific Ba 2+ and Bi 3+ sites have to be considered due to the large difference in bounding requirement of these cations. Possible origins for the ferroelectric relaxor behavior of the Ba-based compound are discussed in view of the presented structural analyses.

  19. Ferroelectric Phase Transformations for Energy Conversion and Storage Applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jo, Hwan Ryul

    Ferroelectric materials possess a spontaneous polarization and actively respond to external mechanical, electrical, and thermal loads. Due to their coupled behavior, ferroelectric materials are used in products such as sensors, actuators, detectors, and transducers. However, most current applications rely on low-energy conversion that involves low magnitude fields. They utilize the low-field linear properties of ferroelectric materials (piezoelectric, pyroelectric) and do not take full advantage of the large-field nonlinear behavior (irreversible domain wall motion, phase transformations) that can occur in ferroelectric materials. When external fields exceed a certain critical level, a structural transformation of the crystal can occur. These phase transformations are accompanied by a much larger response than the linear piezoelectric and pyroelectric responses, by as much as a multiple of ten times in the magnitude. This makes the non-linear behavior in ferroelectric materials promising for energy harvesting and energy storage technologies which will benefit from large-energy conversion. Yet, the ferroelectric phase transformation behavior under large external fields have been less studied and only a few studies have been directed at utilizing this large material response in applications. This dissertation addresses the development ferroelectric phase transformation-based applications, with particular focus on the materials. Development of the ferroelectric phase transformation-based applications was approached in several steps. First, the phase transformation behavior was fully characterized and understood by measuring the phase transformation responses under mechanical, electrical, thermal, and combined loads. Once the behavior was well characterized, systems level applications were addressed. This required assessing the effect of the phase transformation behavior on system performance. The performance of ferroelectric devices is strongly dependent on material

  20. Energy storage properties and relaxor behavior of lead-free Ba1-xSm2x/3Zr0.15Ti0.85O3 ceramics.

    PubMed

    Sun, Zheng; Li, Lingxia; Yu, Shihui; Kang, Xinyu; Chen, Siliang

    2017-10-24

    Lead-free Ba 1-x Sm 2x/3 Zr 0.15 Ti 0.85 O 3 (BSZT) ceramics were synthesized by a solid state reaction route. The microstructure, dielectric relaxor behavior and energy storage properties of BSZT ceramics were studied. The growth of grain size was suppressed with the increase of Sm addition and kept in the submicrometer scale. Successive substitution of Sm 3+ for Ba 2+ disrupted the long-range dipole and promoted the increase of polar nano-region (PNR) size, resulting in the enhanced degree of relaxor behavior. The increasing PNR size also lead to the slimmer hysteresis loops and improved the energy storage efficiency. Furthermore, high saturated polarization (P max ) and low remnant polarization (P r ) were obtained due to the formation of defect dipoles, which facilitated the switch of PNRs and contributed to the enhancement of energy storage density. The x = 0.003 sample was found to exhibit a higher energy storage density of 1.15 J cm -3 and an energy storage efficiency of 92%. The result revealed that the BSZT ceramics may be a good candidate for energy storage application.

  1. Electric Field-Induced Large Strain in Ni/Sb-co Doped (Bi0.5Na0.5) TiO3-Based Lead-Free Ceramics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Liangliang; Hao, Jigong; Xu, Zhijun; Li, Wei; Chu, Ruiqing

    2018-02-01

    Lead-free piezoelectric ceramics (Bi0.5Na0.5)0.935Ba0.065Ti1- x (Ni0.5Sb0.5) x O3 (BNBT6.5- xNS) have been fabricated using conventional solid sintering technique. The effect of (Ni, Sb) doping on the phase structure and electrical properties of BNBT6.5 ceramics were systematically investigated. Results show that the addition of (Ni, Sb) destroyed the ferroelectric long-range order of BNBT6.5 and shifted the ferroelectric-relaxor transition temperature ( T F-R) down to room temperature. Thus, this process induced an ergodic relaxor phase at zero field in samples with x = 0.005. Under the electric field, the ergodic relaxor phase could reversibly transform to ferroelectric phase, which promotes the strain response with peak value of 0.38% (at 80 kV/cm, corresponding to d 33 * = 479 pm/V) at x = 0.005. Temperature-dependent measurements of both polarization and strain confirmed that the large strain originated from a reversible field-induced ergodic relaxor to ferroelectric phase transformation. The proposed material exhibits potential for nonlinear actuators.

  2. Piezo-/dielectric properties of perovskite-structure high-temperature relaxor ferroelectrics: The Pb(Lu{sub 1/2}Nb{sub 1/2})O{sub 3}–Pb(Zn{sub 1/3}Nb{sub 2/3})O{sub 3}–PbTiO{sub 3} ternary ceramics

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Li, Tao; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049; Long, Xifa, E-mail: lxf@fjirsm.ac.cn

    2014-03-01

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Pb(Zn{sub 1/3}Nb{sub 2/3})O{sub 3}-based ternary ferroelectric ceramics were prepared by solid-state synthesis method. • Morphotropic phase boundary region has been determined by XRD, di-/piezoelectric properties. • The compositions near MPB region exhibit excellent piezoelectric properties. - Abstract: A new compositional system of relaxor ferroelectrics was investigated based on the high piezoelectricity Pb(Zn{sub 1/3}Nb{sub 2/3})O{sub 3}–PbTiO{sub 3} ferroelectric perovskite family. Compositions were fabricated near an estimated morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) of the Pb(Lu{sub 1/2}Nb{sub 1/2})O{sub 3}–Pb(Zn{sub 1/3}Nb{sub 2/3})O{sub 3}–PbTiO{sub 3} (PLZNT) ternary system by a two-step synthetic process. Their structures have been analyzed by means ofmore » X-ray diffraction technique. On the basis of X-ray powder diffraction, the morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) region for the ternary system was obtained. The Curie temperature T{sub C} of ternary system varied from 240 °C to 330 °C and the coercive fields E{sub c}s > 10 kV/cm. The values of piezoelectric coefficients d{sub 33} vary in the range of 260–450 pC/N with different PZN contents. It is worth noting that the optimum compositions were located at MPB region but near the tetragonal phase. The new PLZNT ceramics exhibit wider range of T{sub C}s and E{sub c}s, making it a promising material for high-powder ultrasound transducers using in a large temperature range.« less

  3. Precursor dynamics in the ferroelectric phase transition of barium titanate single crystals studied by Brillouin light scattering

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ko, Jae-Hyeon; Kim, Tae Hyun; Roleder, K.; Rytz, D.; Kojima, Seiji

    2011-09-01

    The acoustic anomalies and precursor dynamics of high-quality barium titanate single crystals were investigated by Brillouin light scattering and the birefringence measurements in the paraelectric phase above the cubic-to-tetragonal ferroelectric phase transition temperature (Tc). Two elastic stiffness coefficients C11 and C44, the related sound velocities, and their absorption coefficients were determined from Tc to 400∘C for the first time. The longitudinal acoustic (LA) mode showed a substantial softening over a wide temperature range above Tc which was accompanied by a remarkable increase in the acoustic damping as well as growth of central peaks. The broad central peak (CP) exhibited a two-mode and one-mode behavior in the paraelectric and ferroelectric phase, respectively, which was consistent with recent far-infrared reflectivity measurements and first-principle-based calculations [Ponomareva , Phys. Rev. BPRBMDO1098-012110.1103/PhysRevB.77.012102 77, 012102 (2008)]. The acoustic anomalies and CP behavior were correlated with the anomalous birefringence, piezoelectric effect, and the deviation of the Curie-Weiss law observed from the same crystal. This strongly indicates similarity between the dynamics of polar clusters in typical ferroelectrics and the dynamics of polar nanoregions in relaxors, consistent with recent acoustic emission measurements [Dul’kin , Appl. Phys. Lett.APPLAB0003-695110.1063/1.3464968 97, 032903 (2010)]. The relaxation times estimated from the central peak and the LA mode anomalies exhibited similar temperature dependences with comparable orders of magnitude, indicating that the polarization fluctuations due to the precursor polar clusters couples to the LA mode through density fluctuations. All these anomalies share common microscopic origin, correlated Ti off-centered motions forming polar clusters having local symmetry breaking in the paraelectric phase. The existence of the polar clusters were directly evidenced by the

  4. Pb(B{sup {prime}}{sub 1/2}B{sup {prime}{prime}}{sub 1/2})O{sub 3}-type perovskites: Part II. Short-range order parameter as a criterion of the distinction between relaxor and normal ferroelectrics

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kim, S.; Jang, H.M.

    1997-08-01

    A classification scheme of Pb(B{sup {prime}}{sub 1/2}B{sup {prime}{prime}}{sub 1/2})O{sub 3}-type perovskites with respect to the B-site order parameters was proposed based on the theoretical calculation of the short-range order parameter ({sigma}) using the pair-correlation model. The calculated order parameters predict that a Pb(B{sup {prime}}{sub 1/2}B{sup {prime}{prime}}{sub 1/2})O{sub 3}-type perovskite without any charge difference between B{sup {prime}} and B{sup {prime}{prime}} cations [e.g., Pb(Zr{sub 1/2}Ti{sub 1/2})O{sub 3} (PZT)] is represented by a completely disordered state with the absence of a finite coherence length. On the other hand, a Pb(B{sup {prime}}{sub 1/2}B{sup {prime}{prime}}{sub 1/2})O{sub 3} type perovskite system having different ionic charges ismore » characterized either by the short-range ordering with a nanoscale coherence length or by the macroscopic long-range ordering, depending on the magnitude of ionic charge difference between B{sup {prime}} and B{sup {prime}{prime}} ions. The normal ferroelectricity in Pb(B{sup {prime}}{sub 1/2}B{sup {prime}{prime}}{sub 1/2})O{sub 3}-type complex perovskites was then correlated either with a completely disordered state ({sigma}=0) or with a perfectly ordered state ({sigma}=1), whereas the relaxor behavior was attributed to the nanoscale short-range ordering (0{lt}{sigma}{lt}1) in the configuration of the B-site cations. {copyright} {ital 1997 Materials Research Society.}« less

  5. Electrical conduction mechanism and phase transition studies using dielectric properties and Raman spectroscopy in ferroelectric Pb0.76Ca0.24TiO3 thin films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pontes, F. M.; Pontes, D. S. L.; Leite, E. R.; Longo, E.; Chiquito, A. J.; Pizani, P. S.; Varela, J. A.

    2003-12-01

    We have studied the phase transition behavior of Pb0.76Ca0.24TiO3 thin films using Raman scattering and dielectric measurement techniques. We also have studied the leakage current conduction mechanism as a function of temperature for these thin films on platinized silicon substrates. A Pb0.76Ca0.24TiO3 thin film was prepared using a soft chemical process, called the polymeric precursor method. The results showed that the dependence of the dielectric constant upon the frequency does not reveal any relaxor behavior. However, a diffuse character-type phase transition was observed upon transformation from a cubic paraelectric phase to a tetragonal ferroelectric phase. The temperature dependency of Raman scattering spectra was investigated through the ferroelectric phase transition. The soft mode showed a marked dependence on temperature and its disappearance at about 598 K. On the other hand, Raman modes persist above the tetragonal to cubic phase transition temperature, although all optical modes should be Raman inactive above the phase transition temperature. The origin of these modes must be interpreted in terms of a local breakdown of cubic symmetry by some kind of disorder. The lack of a well-defined transition temperature suggested a diffuse-type phase transition. This result corroborate the dielectric constant versus temperature data, which showed a broad ferroelectric phase transition in the thin film. The leakage current density of the PCT24 thin film was studied at elevated temperatures, and the data were well fitted by the Schottky emission model. The Schottky barrier height of the PCT24 thin film was estimated to be 1.49 eV.

  6. Structural and relaxor-like dielectric properties of unfilled tungsten bronzes Ba{sub 5−5x}Sm{sub 5x}Ti{sub 5x}Nb{sub 10−5x}O{sub 30}

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Wei, T., E-mail: weitong.nju@gmail.com, E-mail: weitong-nju@163.com; Dong, Z.; Zhou, Q. J.

    2016-03-28

    New unfilled tetragonal tungsten bronze (TTB) oxides, Ba{sub 5−5x}Sm{sub 5x}Ti{sub 5x}Nb{sub 10−5x}O{sub 30} (BSTN-x), where 0.10 ≤ x ≤ 0.35, have been synthesized in this work. Their crystal structure was determined and analyzed based on Rietveld structural refinement. It is found that single TTB phase can be formed in a particular x range (i.e., 0.15 ≤ x ≤ 0.3) due to the competition interaction between tolerance factor and electronegativity difference. Furthermore, dielectric and ferroelectric results indicate that phase transitions and ferroelectric states are sensitive to x. Referring to the local chemistry, we suggest that the raise of vacancies at the A{sub 2}-site compared with that of A{sub 1}-sitemore » will intensely depress the normal ferroelectric phase and is in favor of relaxor ferroelectric state. Macroscopically, previous A-site size difference standpoint on fill TTB compounds cannot give a reasonable explanation about the variation of dielectric maximum temperature (T{sub m}) for present BSTN-x compounds. Alternatively, tetragonality (c/a) is adopted which can well describe the variation of T{sub m} in whole x range. In addition, one by one correspondence between tetragonality and electrical features can be found, and the compositions involving high c/a are usually stabilized in normal ferroelectric phase. It is believed that c/a is a more appropriate parameter to illustrate the variation of ferroelectric properties for unfilled TTB system.« less

  7. Anomalous atomic displacement parameters and local dynamics in the Curie range of a Pb-free relaxor ferroelectric system (Bi1-xBax)(Fe1-xTix)O3(0.36 ≤ x ≤ 0.50)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Singh, Anar; Moriyoshi, Chikako; Kuroiwa, Yoshihiro; Pandey, Dhananjai

    2018-04-01

    We report here the relaxor ferroelectric (RFE) behaviour in a multiferroic solid solution system, (Bi1-xBax)(Fe1-xTix)O3, at a critical disorder level of xC ˜ 0.35 in BiFeO3 and 0.65 (i.e., 1-xC = 0.35) in BaTiO3 similar to the 1:2 ratio of Mg2+ and Nb5+ in the canonical RFE Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3. This Pb-free system, like canonical Pb-based RFEs, does not exhibit macroscopic symmetry breaking and shows only the signatures of ergodicity breaking at Vogel-Fulcher freezing temperature (TVF). The atomic displacement parameters (ADPs) of Fe3+/Ti4+ and O2-, obtained using high wave vector (Q) and high-resolution synchrotron x-ray diffraction data as a function of temperature, show anomalous diffuse peaks in the Curie range. It is shown that the diffuse peak in ADPs is due to softening of the vibrational frequencies of the B-O chain (B = Fe3+/Ti4+ and O = O2-) below the Burns temperature (TB) followed by hardening below the characteristic temperature (T'm), which corresponds to a peak in the dielectric permittivity (ɛ').

  8. Superspin glass phase and hierarchy of interactions in multiferroic PbFe1/2Sb1/2O3: an analog of ferroelectric relaxors?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Laguta, V. V.; Stephanovich, V. A.; Savinov, M.; Marysko, M.; Kuzian, R. O.; Kondakova, I. V.; Olekhnovich, N. M.; Pushkarev, A. V.; Radyush, Yu V.; Raevski, I. P.; Raevskaya, S. I.; Prosandeev, S. A.

    2014-11-01

    We have fabricated new perovskite multiferroic PbFe1/2Sb1/2O3 with a high degree (up to 0.9) of chemical ordering and unexpectedly high-temperature magnetic relaxor properties, which can barely be described within concepts of conventional spin glass physics. Notably, we found that the field-temperature phase diagram of this material, in the extremely wide temperature interval, contains the de Almeida-Thouless-type critical line, which has been the subject of long debates regarding its possible experimental realization. We explain our findings by the creation, at high temperatures of not less than 250 K, of giant superspins (SSs), owing, curiously enough, to the antiferromagnetic superexchange interaction. We show that these SSs are capable of strong high-temperature magnetic relaxation in the relaxor phase, down to about 150 K, where they transform into a SS glass phase. On further cooling, the material experiences another striking transition, this time, into an ordinary (single-spin) antiferromagnetic phase. We comprehensively analyze the above complex physical picture in terms of three complimentary theoretical approaches. Namely, the ab initio calculations elucidate the microscopic mechanism of giant SS formation, the high-temperature expansion accounts for the morphology of these clusters, and the random field approach provides the description of disorder-related characteristics.

  9. Giant Electrocaloric Effect in Ferroelectrics with Tailored Polaw-Nanostructures

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Zhang, Qiming

    2015-06-24

    Electrocaloric effect (ECE) is the temperature and/or entropy change in a dielectric material caused by an electric field induced polarization change. Although ECE has been studied since 1930s, the very small ECE observed in earlier studies in bulk materials before 2007 makes it not attractive for practical cooling applications. The objectives of this DOE program are to carry out a systematical scientific research on the entropy change and ECE in polar-dielectrics, especially ferroelectrics based on several fundamental hypotheses and to search for answers on a few scientific questions. Especially, this research program developed a series of polar-dielectric materials with controlledmore » nano- and meso-structures and carried out studies on how these structures affect the polar-ordering, correlations, energy landscapes, and consequently the entropy states at different phases and ECE. The key hypotheses of the program include: (i) Whether a large ECE can be obtained near the ferroelectric-paraelectric (FE-PE) transition in properly designed ferroelectrics which possess large polarization P and large ß (the coefficient in the thermodynamic Landau theory where the Gibbs free energy G = G = G 0+ ½ a P 2 +1/4 b P 4 + 1/6 c P 6 – EP, and a = ß (T-T c), where b,c,ß and Tc are constants)? (ii) What determines/determine ß? Whether a ferroelectric material with built-in disorders, which disrupt the polar-correlations and enabling a large number of local polar-states, such as a properly designed ferroelectric relaxor, can achieve a large ECE? (iii) How to design a ferroelectric material which has flat energy landscape so that the energy barriers for switching among different phases are vanishingly small? What are the necessary conditions to maximize the number of coexisting phases? (iv) How to design ferroelectric materials with a large tunable dielectric response? That is, at zero electric field, the material possesses very low polar-correlation and hence a very

  10. Domain switching mechanisms in polycrystalline ferroelectrics with asymmetric hysteretic behavior

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Anton, Eva-Maria; García, R. Edwin; Key, Thomas S.; Blendell, John E.; Bowman, Keith J.

    2009-01-01

    A numerical method is presented to predict the effect of microstructure on the local polarization switching of bulk ferroelectric ceramics. The model shows that a built-in electromechanical field develops in a ferroelectric material as a result of the spatial coupling of the grains and the direct physical coupling between the thermomechanical and electromechanical properties of a bulk ceramic material. The built-in fields that result from the thermomechanically induced grain-grain electromechanical interactions result in the appearance of four microstructural switching mechanisms: (1) simple switching, where the c-axes of ferroelectric domains will align with the direction of the applied macroscopic electric field by starting from the core of each grain; (2) grain boundary induced switching, where the domain's switching response will initiate at grain corners and boundaries as a result of the polarization and stress that is locally generated from the strong anisotropy of the dielectric permittivity and the local piezoelectric contributions to polarization from the surrounding material; (3) negative poling, where abutting ferroelectric domains of opposite polarity actively oppose domain switching by increasing their degree of tetragonality by interacting with the surrounding domains that have already switched to align with the applied electrostatic field. Finally, (4) domain reswitching mechanism is observed at very large applied electric fields, and is characterized by the appearance of polarization domain reversals events in the direction of their originally unswitched state. This mechanism is a consequence of the competition between the macroscopic applied electric field, and the induced electric field that results from the neighboring domains (or grains) interactions. The model shows that these built-in electromechanical fields and mesoscale mechanisms contribute to the asymmetry of the macroscopic hysteretic behavior in poled samples. Furthermore, below a

  11. Ferroelectric domain structure of anisotropically strained NaNbO3 epitaxial thin films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schwarzkopf, J.; Braun, D.; Schmidbauer, M.; Duk, A.; Wördenweber, R.

    2014-05-01

    NaNbO3 thin films have been grown under anisotropic biaxial strain on several oxide substrates by liquid-delivery spin metalorganic chemical vapor deposition. Compressive lattice strain of different magnitude, induced by the deposition of NaNbO3 films with varying film thickness on NdGaO3 single crystalline substrates, leads to modifications of film orientation and phase symmetry, which are similar to the phase transitions in Pb-containing oxides near the morphotropic phase boundary. Piezoresponse force microscopy measurements exhibit large out-of-plane polarization components, but no distinctive domain structure, while C-V measurements indicate relaxor properties in these films. When tensile strain is provoked by the epitaxial growth on DyScO3, TbScO3, and GdScO3 single crystalline substrates, NaNbO3 films behave rather like a normal ferroelectric. The application of these rare-earth scandate substrates yields well-ordered ferroelectric stripe domains of the type a1/a2 with coherent domain walls aligned along the [001] substrate direction as long as the films are fully strained. With increasing plastic lattice relaxation, initially, a 2D domain pattern with still exclusively in-plane electric polarization, and finally, domains with in-plane and out-of-plane polar components evolve.

  12. Synthesis of n-type Bi4-xLaxTi3O12 (x=0 to 0.45) by alternative mechanochemical method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sharanappa, Nagbasavanna

    2017-05-01

    Lanthanum doped bismuth titanate ceramic samples have been successfully synthesized by mechanochemical method showed good properties and have investigated the structure, microstructure, dielectric, Curie-Weiss behavior, thermoelectric properties, which resulted from substitution of La-ions in bismuth titanate. Plate-like shape with enhanced density is observed in the SEM micrographs. Ceramic samples exhibiting relaxor ferroelectric behavior by satisfying Curie-Weiss law. Thermoelectric studies reveal n-type semiconducting behavior of these samples. Synthesized compounds explored these desirable properties for innovative semiconductor based device applications.

  13. Mixed electrochemical–ferroelectric states in nanoscale ferroelectrics

    DOE PAGES

    Yang, Sang Mo; Morozovska, Anna N.; Kumar, Rajeev; ...

    2017-05-01

    Ferroelectricity on the nanoscale has been the subject of much fascination in condensed-matter physics for over half a century. In recent years, multiple reports claiming ferroelectricity in ultrathin ferroelectric films based on the formation of remnant polarization states, local electromechanical hysteresis loops, and pressure-induced switching were made. But, similar phenomena were reported for traditionally non-ferroelectric materials, creating a significant level of uncertainty in the field. We show that in nanoscale systems the ferroelectric state is fundamentally inseparable from the electrochemical state of the surface, leading to the emergence of a mixed electrochemical–ferroelectric state. We explore the nature, thermodynamics, and thicknessmore » evolution of such states, and demonstrate the experimental pathway to establish its presence. Our analysis reconciles multiple prior studies, provides guidelines for studies of ferroelectric materials on the nanoscale, and establishes the design paradigm for new generations of ferroelectric-based devices.« less

  14. Dielectric and ferroelectric properties of Ba0.87Ca0.10La0.03Ti1-xSnxO3 lead-free ceramics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Zhi-hui; Li, Zhi-wei; Fang, Chang; Qiu, Jian-hua; Ding, Jian-ning; Zhu, Wei-qin; Xu, Jiu-jun

    2017-12-01

    Ba0.87Ca0.10La0.03Ti1-xSnxO3 (BCLTS) piezoelectric lead-free ceramics were fabricated by conventional solid-state sintering process at 1480 °C. The effects of Sn4+ substitution on microstructure and electrical properties of the ceramics were researched. All samples show a pure perovskite structure with no secondary phase, and the coexistence of orthorhombic phase and tetragonal phase in the composition range of x = 0.06-0.10 is identified in the XRD pattern. Average grain size decreases with the increase of Sn content in the BCLTS samples. The BCLTS ceramics exhibit excellent piezoelectric properties and ferroelectric properties with d33 = 501pC/N and kp = 45.6% at x = 0.10, and Pr = 9.87 μC/cm2 at x = 0.06. The analysis on the temperature dependence of dielectric permittivity approved the diffuse relaxor ferroelectric feature for all the BCLTS samples.

  15. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Saha, J.; Chaudhary, S.; Majumdar, P.

    We report a study on potential multiferroic characteristics of Yttrium Iron Garnet (YIG). The emergence of ferroelectricity in YIG is in debate but we provide evidence for strong magneto-electric coupling above room temperature from dielectric constant measurement with and without magnetic field. We find that the apparent pseudo-ferroelectric crossover temperature in YIG varies with frequency. For higher frequency the transition shifts towards higher temperature. This is indicative of relaxor behavior. We have also measured the dielectric constant in the presence of external magnetic field at high temperature that confirms interdependence of magnetic and dielectric properties.

  16. Super Stable Ferroelectrics with High Curie Point.

    PubMed

    Gao, Zhipeng; Lu, Chengjia; Wang, Yuhang; Yang, Sinuo; Yu, Yuying; He, Hongliang

    2016-04-07

    Ferroelectric materials are of great importance in the sensing technology due to the piezoelectric properties. Thermal depoling behavior of ferroelectrics determines the upper temperature limit of their application. So far, there is no piezoelectric material working above 800 °C available. Here, we show Nd2Ti2O7 with a perovskite-like layered structure has good resistance to thermal depoling up to 1400 °C. Its stable behavior is because the material has only 180° ferroelectric domains, complex structure change at Curie point (Tc) and their sintering temperature is below their Tc, which avoided the internal stresses produced by the unit cell volume change at Tc. The phase transition at Tc shows a first order behavior which involving the tilting and rotation of the octahedron. The Curie - Weiss temperature is calculated, which might explain why the thermal depoling starts at about 1400 °C.

  17. Multiferroic behavior in CdCr2X4(X=S,Se)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hemberger, J.; Lunkenheimer, P.; Fichtl, R.; Weber, S.; Tsurkan, V.; Loidl, A.

    2006-05-01

    The recently discovered multiferroic material CdCr2S4 shows a coexistence of ferromagnetism and relaxor ferroelectricity together with a colossal magnetocapacitive effect. The complex dielectric permittivity of this compound and of the structurally related CdCr2Se4 was studied by means of broadband dielectric spectroscopy using different electrode materials. The observed magnetocapacitive coupling at the magnetic transition is driven by enormous changes of the relaxation dynamics induced by the development of magnetic order.

  18. Solitons in thin-film ferroelectric material

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Boudoue Hubert, Malwe; Justin, Mibaile; Kudryashov, Nikolai A.; Betchewe, Gambo; Douvagai; Doka, Serge Y.

    2018-07-01

    Through the Landau–Ginzburg–Devonshire mean field theory, the equation governing the behavior of the polarization field in ferroelectric material is derived. Ferroelectric material is subjected to a standing electric field which inhibits remanent polarization and facilitates the access to the instantaneous polarization. Some transformations turn the equation into a well-known ordinary differential equation. As a result, dark soliton and cnoidal waves, which have not yet been observed in ferroelectrics, are obtained. Also, a bright soliton is found. It exists in a given range of temperatures and has an amplitude and a width which vary inversely with temperature.

  19. Radiation-induced changes in the dielectric response of poly(vinylidene fluoride) type polymers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hilczer, B.; Smogor, H.; Goslar, J.; Warchol, S.

    2003-01-01

    High and dispersive dielectric response, characteristic of the relaxor state, was observed in ferroelectric P(VDF/TrFE)(50/50) copolymers irradiated with 1.0 MeV and 1.5 MeV electrons. Relaxor-like behaviour of the copolymer is a result of overlapping of the dielectric anomaly characteristic of the glass transition and that related to the Curie point, which is shifted downwards by electron irradiation. The results of ESR, IR and NIR Raman spectroscopy studies of the radiation damage to P(VDF/TrFE)(50/50) show that radiation-induced irreversible transformation of the ferroelectric copolymer to the relaxor state is related to the existence of polar clusters, consisting of a variety of short range coherence of trans-conformation, stabilized by random fields of C=C and conjugated C=C bonds.

  20. Nanostructure, Defect Chemistry and Properties of Relaxor Ferroelectrics

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1992-02-01

    BKZN’ cannot be obtained with a reasonable reproducibility due to the volatility of potassium . However, the typical acceptor behavior could still be...1989): "Non-stoichiometry and Transport in Strontium Ferrate Sr2 Fe2 O 2 1 , Submitted to the J. Solid State Chem.. Chen, J., Chan, H.M. and Harmer

  1. The interface between ferroelectric and 2D material for a Ferroelectric Field-Effect Transistor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Park, Nahee; Kang, Haeyong; Lee, Sang-Goo; Lee, Young Hee; Suh, Dongseok

    We have studied electrical property of ferroelectric field-effect transistor which consists of graphene on hexagonal Boron-Nitride (h-BN) gated by a ferroelectric, PMN-PT (i.e. (1-x)Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3) O3-xPbTiO3) single-crystal substrate. The PMN-PT was expected to have an effect on polarization field into the graphene channel and to induce a giant amount of surface charge. The hexagonal Boron-Nitride (h-BN) flake was directly exfoliated on the PMN-PT substrate for preventing graphene from directly contacting on the PMN-PT substrate. It can make us to observe the effect of the interface between ferroelectric and 2D material on the device operation. Monolayer graphene as 2D channel material, which was confirmed by Raman spectroscopy, was transferred on top of the hexagonal Boron-Nitride (h-BN) by using the conventional dry-transfer method. Here, we can demonstrate that the structure of graphene/hexagonal-BN/ferroelectric field-effect transistor makes us to clearly understand the device operation as well as the interface between ferroelectric and 2D materials by inserting h-BN between them. The phenomena such as anti-hysteresis, current saturation behavior, and hump-like increase of channel current, will be discussed by in terms of ferroelectric switching, polarization-assisted charge trapping.

  2. The pyroelectric behavior of lead free ferroelectric ceramics in thermally stimulated depolarization current measurements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    González-Abreu, Y.; Peláiz-Barranco, A.; Garcia-Wong, A. C.; Guerra, J. D. S.

    2012-06-01

    The present paper shows a detailed analysis on the thermally stimulated processes in barium modified SrBi2Nb2O9 ferroelectric bi-layered perovskite, which is one of the most promising candidates for non-volatile random access memory applications because of its excellent fatigue-resistant properties. A numerical method is used to separate the real pyroelectric current from the other thermally stimulated processes. A discharge due to the space-charge injected during the poling process, the pyroelectric response, and a conductive process are discussed in a wide temperature range from ferroelectric to paraelectric phase. The pyroelectric response is separated from the other components to evaluate the polarization behavior and some pyroelectric parameters. The remanent polarization, the pyroelectric coefficient, and the merit figure are evaluated, which show good results.

  3. Quantum mechanical studies of complex ferroelectric perovskites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ramer, Nicholas John

    In many electronic device applications, there is a need to interconvert electrical energy and other types of energy. Ferroelectric materials, which possess a voltage-dependent polarization, can enable this energy conversion process. Because of the broad interest in ferroelectric materials for these devices, there is a critical research effort, both experimental and theoretical, to understand these materials and aid in the development of materials with improved properties. This thesis presents detailed quantum mechanical investigations of the behavior of a complex ferroelectric perovskite under applied stress. In particular, we have chosen to study the solid solution PbZr1-xTix O3 (PZT). Since the study of ferroelectricity involves understanding both its structural and electronic signatures in materials, it has necessitated the development of a novel theoretical technique which improves the accuracy of the pseudopotentials used in our density functional theory calculations as well as a new method for constructing three-dimensional atomistic responses to small amounts of external stress. To examine the material's behavior under larger amounts of stress, we have studied the behavior of a composition of PZT lying near a structural phase boundary. On either side of the phase boundary, the material is characterized by a different polarization direction and may easily be switched between phases by applying external stress. In addition to stress-induced phase transitions, most ferroelectric materials also have composition dependent phase boundaries. Since different compositions of PZT would require increased computational effort, we have formulated an improved virtual crystal approach that makes tractable the study of the entire composition range. Using this method, we have been able to show for the first time via first-principles calculations, a composition dependent phase transition in a ferroelectric material. This thesis has accomplished three important goals: new

  4. Ferroelectric behavior of Al substituted InP

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Park, C. S.; Lee, S. J.; Kang, T. W.; Fu, D. J.

    2006-12-01

    InP:Al was grown by the liquid phase epitaxy method on InP (100)substrates. X-ray diffraction confirmed the epitaxial growth along (100) of AlInP. Photoluminescence spectra showed the evident effect of Al content. Ferroelectric characterization of the sample revealed a clear hysteresis in its polarization-voltage curves. The remnant polarization of InP:Al amounts to 1.99μC/cm2 at 300Hz, and it decreases with increasing temperature in a continuous and diffusive manner. Resistance measurement demonstrated a maximum resistance at 160°C, tentatively consistent with the transition temperature of remnant polarization. The ferroelectricity is accounted by the collective interaction between nuclei having the microscopic instability from the cation size difference in InP:Al.

  5. Domains in Ferroelectric Nanostructures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gregg, Marty

    2010-03-01

    Ferroelectric materials have great potential in influencing the future of small scale electronics. At a basic level, this is because ferroelectric surfaces are charged, and so interact strongly with charge-carrying metals and semiconductors - the building blocks for all electronic systems. Since the electrical polarity of the ferroelectric can be reversed, surfaces can both attract and repel charges in nearby materials, and can thereby exert complete control over both charge distribution and movement. It should be no surprise, therefore, that microelectronics industries have already looked very seriously at harnessing ferroelectric materials in a variety of applications, from solid state memory chips (FeRAMs) to field effect transistors (FeFETs). In all such applications, switching the direction of the polarity of the ferroelectric is a key aspect of functional behavior. The mechanism for switching involves the field-induced nucleation and growth of domains. Domain coarsening, through domain wall propagation, eventually causes the entire ferroelectric to switch its polar direction. It is thus the existence and behavior of domains that determine the switching response, and ultimately the performance of the ferroelectric device. A major issue, associated with the integration of ferroelectrics into microelectronic devices, has been that the fundamental properties associated with ferroelectrics, when in bulk form, appear to change quite dramatically and unpredictably when at the nanoscale: new modes of behaviour, and different functional characteristics from those seen in bulk appear. For domains, in particular, the proximity of surfaces and boundaries have a dramatic effect: surface tension and depolarizing fields both serve to increase the equilibrium density of domains, such that minor changes in scale or morphology can have major ramifications for domain redistribution. Given the importance of domains in dictating the overall switching characteristics of a device

  6. Synthesis and ferroelectric properties of La-substituted PZFNT

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Singh, Pratibha; Singh, Sangeeta; Juneja, J. K.; Prakash, Chandra; Raina, K. K.; Kumar, Vinod; Pant, R. P.

    2010-01-01

    In this paper we are reporting a systematic study on ferroelectric properties of lanthanum (La) substituted modified lead zirconate titanate (PLZFNT) ceramics which were fabricated by mixed oxide process. La contents were varied in between 0 and 0.01 in steps of 0.0025. The X-ray diffraction study shows single phase for all samples. Silver electrode was deposited on flat surfaces of sintered discs for P-E (polarization vs. electric field) measurements. All compositions exhibited well-defined ferroelectric behavior at room temperature. Hysteresis loops were also recorded at different temperatures for all the compositions which showed typical variation of ferroelectric nature. The PLZFNT composition with 1 mol% of La showed the best retention behavior. The results are discussed.

  7. Super Stable Ferroelectrics with High Curie Point

    PubMed Central

    Gao, Zhipeng; Lu, Chengjia; Wang, Yuhang; Yang, Sinuo; Yu, Yuying; He, Hongliang

    2016-01-01

    Ferroelectric materials are of great importance in the sensing technology due to the piezoelectric properties. Thermal depoling behavior of ferroelectrics determines the upper temperature limit of their application. So far, there is no piezoelectric material working above 800 °C available. Here, we show Nd2Ti2O7 with a perovskite-like layered structure has good resistance to thermal depoling up to 1400 °C. Its stable behavior is because the material has only 180° ferroelectric domains, complex structure change at Curie point (Tc) and their sintering temperature is below their Tc, which avoided the internal stresses produced by the unit cell volume change at Tc. The phase transition at Tc shows a first order behavior which involving the tilting and rotation of the octahedron. The Curie – Weiss temperature is calculated, which might explain why the thermal depoling starts at about 1400 °C. PMID:27053338

  8. Ferroelectric negative capacitance domain dynamics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hoffmann, Michael; Khan, Asif Islam; Serrao, Claudy; Lu, Zhongyuan; Salahuddin, Sayeef; Pešić, Milan; Slesazeck, Stefan; Schroeder, Uwe; Mikolajick, Thomas

    2018-05-01

    Transient negative capacitance effects in epitaxial ferroelectric Pb(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O3 capacitors are investigated with a focus on the dynamical switching behavior governed by domain nucleation and growth. Voltage pulses are applied to a series connection of the ferroelectric capacitor and a resistor to directly measure the ferroelectric negative capacitance during switching. A time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau approach is used to investigate the underlying domain dynamics. The transient negative capacitance is shown to originate from reverse domain nucleation and unrestricted domain growth. However, with the onset of domain coalescence, the capacitance becomes positive again. The persistence of the negative capacitance state is therefore limited by the speed of domain wall motion. By changing the applied electric field, capacitor area or external resistance, this domain wall velocity can be varied predictably over several orders of magnitude. Additionally, detailed insights into the intrinsic material properties of the ferroelectric are obtainable through these measurements. A new method for reliable extraction of the average negative capacitance of the ferroelectric is presented. Furthermore, a simple analytical model is developed, which accurately describes the negative capacitance transient time as a function of the material properties and the experimental boundary conditions.

  9. Flexible graphene-PZT ferroelectric nonvolatile memory.

    PubMed

    Lee, Wonho; Kahya, Orhan; Toh, Chee Tat; Ozyilmaz, Barbaros; Ahn, Jong-Hyun

    2013-11-29

    We report the fabrication of a flexible graphene-based nonvolatile memory device using Pb(Zr0.35,Ti0.65)O3 (PZT) as the ferroelectric material. The graphene and PZT ferroelectric layers were deposited using chemical vapor deposition and sol–gel methods, respectively. Such PZT films show a high remnant polarization (Pr) of 30 μC cm−2 and a coercive voltage (Vc) of 3.5 V under a voltage loop over ±11 V. The graphene–PZT ferroelectric nonvolatile memory on a plastic substrate displayed an on/off current ratio of 6.7, a memory window of 6 V and reliable operation. In addition, the device showed one order of magnitude lower operation voltage range than organic-based ferroelectric nonvolatile memory after removing the anti-ferroelectric behavior incorporating an electrolyte solution. The devices showed robust operation in bent states of bending radii up to 9 mm and in cycling tests of 200 times. The devices exhibited remarkable mechanical properties and were readily integrated with plastic substrates for the production of flexible circuits.

  10. Possible ferrimagnetism and ferroelectricity of half-substituted rare-earth titanate: A first-principles study on Y0.5La0.5TiO3

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    An, Ming; Zhang, Hui-Min; Weng, Ya-Kui; Zhang, Yang; Dong, Shuai

    2016-04-01

    Titanates with the perovskite structure, including ferroelectrics (e.g., BaTiO3) and ferromagnetic ones (e.g., YTiO3), are important functional materials. Recent theoretical studies predicted multiferroic states in strained EuTiO3 and titanate superlattices, the former of which has already been experimental confirmed. Here, a first-principles calculation is performed to investigate the structural, magnetic, and electronic properties of Y half-substituted LaTiO3. Our results reveal that the magnetism of Y0.5La0.5TiO3 sensitively depends on its structural details because of the inherent phase competition. The lowest energy state is the ferromagnetic state, resulting in 0.25 μ B /Ti. Furthermore, some configurations of Y0.5La0.5TiO3 exhibit hybrid improper polarizations, which can be significantly affected by magnetism, resulting in the multiferroic properties. Because of the quenching disorder of substitution, the real Y0.5La0.5TiO3 material with random A-site ions may exhibit interesting relaxor behaviors.

  11. High-temperature solution growth and characterization of (1-x)PbTiO3-xBi(Zn2/3Nb1/3)O3 piezo-/ferroelectric single crystals

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Paterson, Alisa R.; Zhao, Jinyan; Liu, Zenghui; Wu, Xiaoqing; Ren, Wei; Ye, Zuo-Guang

    2018-03-01

    Complex perovskite PbTiO3-Bi(Me‧Me″)O3 solid solutions represent new materials systems that possess a higher Curie temperature (TC) than the relaxor-PbTiO3 solid solutions, and are useful for potential applications. To this end, novel ferroelectric single crystals of the (1-x)PbTiO3-xBi(Zn2/3Nb1/3)O3 (PT-BZN) solid solution were successfully grown by the high-temperature solution growth (HTSG) method. Powder X-ray diffraction shows that the symmetry of the grown crystals is tetragonal. The dielectric permittivity and optical domain structures were characterized by dielectric measurements and polarized light microscopy, respectively, as a function of temperature, revealing a first-order ferroelectric-paraelectric phase transition at a TC of 436 ± 2 °C. Based on the TC, the average composition of the crystal platelet was estimated to be 0.58PT-0.42BZN. Piezoresponse force microscopy measurements of the phase and amplitude as a function of voltage reveal the complex polar domain structure and demonstrate the ferroelectric switching behaviour of these materials. These results suggest that the PT-BZN single crystals indeed form a new family of high TC piezo-/ferroelectric materials which are potentially useful for the fabrication of electromechanical transducers for high-temperature applications.

  12. Ferroelectric domain switching dynamics and memristive behaviors in BiFeO3-based magnetoelectric heterojunctions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Huang, Weichuan; Liu, Yukuai; Luo, Zhen; Hou, Chuangming; Zhao, Wenbo; Yin, Yuewei; Li, Xiaoguang

    2018-06-01

    The ferroelectric domain reversal dynamics and the corresponding resistance switching as well as the memristive behaviors in epitaxial BiFeO3 (BFO, ~150 nm) based multiferroic heterojunctions were systematically investigated. The ferroelectric domain reversal dynamics could be described by the nucleation-limited-switching model with the Lorentzian distribution of logarithmic domain-switching times. By engineering the domain states, multi and even continuously tunable resistances states, i.e. memristive states, could be non-volatilely achieved. The resistance switching speed can be as fast as 30 ns in the BFO-based multiferroic heterojunctions with a write voltage of ~20 V. By reducing the thickness of BFO, the La0.6Sr0.4MnO3/BFO (~5 nm)/La0.6Sr0.4MnO3 multiferroic tunnel junction (MFTJ) shows an even a quicker switching speed (20 ns) with a much lower operation voltage (~4 V). Importantly, the MFTJ exhibits a tunable interfacial magnetoelectric coupling related to the ferroelectric domain switching dynamics. These findings enrich the potential applications of multiferroic BFO based devices in high-speed, low-power, and high-density memories as well as future neuromorphic computational architectures.

  13. Surface-modified Ba(Zr0.3Ti0.7)O3 nanofibers by polyvinylpyrrolidone filler for poly(vinylidene fluoride) composites with enhanced dielectric constant and energy storage density.

    PubMed

    Liu, Shaohui; Xue, Shuangxi; Xiu, Shaomei; Shen, Bo; Zhai, Jiwei

    2016-05-17

    Ferroelectric-relaxor behavior of Ba(Zr0.3Ti0.7)O3 nanofibers (BZT NF) with a large aspect ratio were prepared via electrospinning and surface modified by PVP as dielectric fillers. The nanocomposite flexible films based on surface modified BZT NF and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) were fabricated via a solution casting. The results show that the surface-modified BZT NF fillers are highly dispersed and well integrated in the PVDF nanocomposites. The nanocomposites exhibit enhanced dielectric constant and reduced loss tangents at a low volume fraction of surface-modified BZT NF. The polymer nanocomposites maintain a relatively high breakdown strength, which is favorable for enhancing energy storage density in the nanocomposites. The nanocomposite containing of 2.5 vol. % of PVP modified BZT NF exhibits energy density as high as 6.3 J/cm(3) at 3800 kV/cm, which is more than doubled that of the pure PVDF of 2.8 J/cm(3) at 4000 kV/cm. Such significant enhancement could be attributed to the combined effects of the surface modification and large aspect ratio of the BZT NF. This work may provide a route for using the surface modified ferroelectric-relaxor behavior of ceramic nanofibers to enhance the dielectric energy density in ceramic-polymer nanocomposites.

  14. Role of point defects in bipolar fatigue behavior of Bi(Mg{sub 1/2}Ti{sub 1/2})O{sub 3} modified (Bi{sub 1/2}K{sub 1/2})TiO{sub 3}-(Bi{sub 1/2}Na{sub 1/2})TiO{sub 3} relaxor ceramics

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kumar, Nitish, E-mail: nitishkumar.iitk@gmail.com; Ansell, Troy Y.; Cann, David P.

    Lead-free Bi(Mg{sub 1/2}Ti{sub 1/2})O{sub 3}-(Bi{sub 1/2}K{sub 1/2})TiO{sub 3}-(Bi{sub 1/2}Na{sub 1/2})TiO{sub 3} (BMT-BKT-BNT) ceramics have been shown to exhibit large electromechanical strains under high electric fields along with negligible fatigue under strong electric fields. To investigate the role of point defects on the fatigue characteristics, the composition 5BMT-40BKT-55BNT was doped to incorporate acceptor and donor defects on the A and B sites by adjusting the Bi/Na and Ti/Mg stoichiometries. All samples had pseudo-cubic symmetries based on x-ray diffraction, typical of relaxors. Dielectric measurements showed that the high and low temperature phase transitions were largely unaffected by doping. Acceptor doping resulted inmore » the observation of a typical ferroelectric-like polarization with a remnant polarization and strain hysteresis loops with significant negative strain. Donor-doped compositions exhibited characteristics that were indicative of an ergodic relaxor phase. Fatigue measurements were carried out on all of the compositions. While the A-site acceptor-doped composition showed a small degradation in maximum strain after 10{sup 6} cycles, the other compositions were essentially fatigue free. Impedance measurements were used to identify the important conduction mechanisms in these compositions. As expected, the presence of defects did not strongly influence the fatigue behavior in donor-doped compositions owing to the nature of their reversible field-induced phase transformation. Even for the acceptor-doped compositions, which had stable domains in the absence of an electric field at room temperature, there was negligible degradation in the maximum strain due to fatigue. This suggests that either the defects introduced through stoichiometric variations do not play a prominent role in fatigue in these systems or it is compensated by factors like decrease in coercive field, an increase in ergodicity, symmetry change, or other factors.« less

  15. Polarization fatigue of organic ferroelectric capacitors

    PubMed Central

    Zhao, Dong; Katsouras, Ilias; Li, Mengyuan; Asadi, Kamal; Tsurumi, Junto; Glasser, Gunnar; Takeya, Jun; Blom, Paul W. M.; de Leeuw, Dago M.

    2014-01-01

    The polarization of the ferroelectric polymer P(VDF-TrFE) decreases upon prolonged cycling. Understanding of this fatigue behavior is of great technological importance for the implementation of P(VDF-TrFE) in random-access memories. However, the origin of fatigue is still ambiguous. Here we investigate fatigue in thin-film capacitors by systematically varying the frequency and amplitude of the driving waveform. We show that the fatigue is due to delamination of the top electrode. The origin is accumulation of gases, expelled from the capacitor, under the impermeable top electrode. The gases are formed by electron-induced phase decomposition of P(VDF-TrFE), similar as reported for inorganic ferroelectric materials. When the gas barrier is removed and the waveform is adapted, a fatigue-free ferroelectric capacitor based on P(VDF-TrFE) is realized. The capacitor can be cycled for more than 108 times, approaching the programming cycle endurance of its inorganic ferroelectric counterparts. PMID:24861542

  16. Spontaneous vortex nanodomain arrays at ferroelectric heterointerfaces.

    PubMed

    Nelson, Christopher T; Winchester, Benjamin; Zhang, Yi; Kim, Sung-Joo; Melville, Alexander; Adamo, Carolina; Folkman, Chad M; Baek, Seung-Hyub; Eom, Chang-Beom; Schlom, Darrell G; Chen, Long-Qing; Pan, Xiaoqing

    2011-02-09

    The polarization of the ferroelectric BiFeO(3) sub-jected to different electrical boundary conditions by heterointerfaces is imaged with atomic resolution using a spherical aberration-corrected transmission electron microscope. Unusual triangular-shaped nanodomains are seen, and their role in providing polarization closure is understood through phase-field simulations. Heterointerfaces are key to the performance of ferroelectric devices, and this first observation of spontaneous vortex nanodomain arrays at ferroelectric heterointerfaces reveals properties unlike the surrounding film including mixed Ising-Néel domain walls, which will affect switching behavior, and a drastic increase of in-plane polarization. The importance of magnetization closure has long been appreciated in multidomain ferromagnetic systems; imaging this analogous effect with atomic resolution at ferroelectric heterointerfaces provides the ability to see device-relevant interface issues. Extension of this technique to visualize domain dynamics is envisioned.

  17. Differentiating Ferroelectric and Nonferroelectric Electromechanical Effects with Scanning Probe Microscopy

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Balke, Nina; Maksymovych, Petro; Jesse, Stephen

    Ferroelectricity in functional materials remains one of the most fascinating areas of modern science in the past several decades. In the last several years, the rapid development of piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) and spectroscopy revealed the presence of electromechanical hysteresis loops and bias-induced remnant polar states in a broad variety of materials including many inorganic oxides, polymers, and biosystems. In many cases, this behavior was interpreted as the ample evidence for ferroelectric nature of the system. Here, we systematically analyze PFM responses on ferroelectric and nonferroelectric materials and demonstrate that mechanisms unrelated to ferroelectricity can induce ferroelectric-like characteristics through chargemore » injection and electrostatic forces on the tip. In this paper, we will focus on similarities and differences in various PFM measurement characteristics to provide an experimental guideline to differentiate between ferroelectric material properties and charge injection. In conclusion, we apply the developed measurement protocols to an unknown ferroelectric material.« less

  18. Differentiating Ferroelectric and Nonferroelectric Electromechanical Effects with Scanning Probe Microscopy

    DOE PAGES

    Balke, Nina; Maksymovych, Petro; Jesse, Stephen; ...

    2015-06-02

    Ferroelectricity in functional materials remains one of the most fascinating areas of modern science in the past several decades. In the last several years, the rapid development of piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) and spectroscopy revealed the presence of electromechanical hysteresis loops and bias-induced remnant polar states in a broad variety of materials including many inorganic oxides, polymers, and biosystems. In many cases, this behavior was interpreted as the ample evidence for ferroelectric nature of the system. Here, we systematically analyze PFM responses on ferroelectric and nonferroelectric materials and demonstrate that mechanisms unrelated to ferroelectricity can induce ferroelectric-like characteristics through chargemore » injection and electrostatic forces on the tip. In this paper, we will focus on similarities and differences in various PFM measurement characteristics to provide an experimental guideline to differentiate between ferroelectric material properties and charge injection. In conclusion, we apply the developed measurement protocols to an unknown ferroelectric material.« less

  19. Diffuse Phase Transitions and Giant Electrostrictive Coefficients in Lead-Free Fe3+-Doped 0.5Ba(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O3-0.5(Ba0.7Ca0.3)TiO3 Ferroelectric Ceramics.

    PubMed

    Jin, Li; Huo, Renjie; Guo, Runping; Li, Fei; Wang, Dawei; Tian, Ye; Hu, Qingyuan; Wei, Xiaoyong; He, Zhanbing; Yan, Yan; Liu, Gang

    2016-11-16

    The electrostrictive effect has some advantages over the piezoelectric effect, including temperature stability and hysteresis-free character. In the present work, we report the diffuse phase transitions and electrostrictive properties in lead-free Fe 3+ -doped 0.5Ba(Zr 0.2 Ti 0.8 )O 3 -0.5(Ba 0.7 Ca 0.3 )TiO 3 (BZT-0.5BCT) ferroelectric ceramics. The doping concentration was set from 0.25 to 2 mol %. It is found that by introducing Fe 3+ ion into BZT-0.5BCT, the temperature corresponding to permittivity maximum T m was shifted toward lower temperature monotonically by 37 °C per mol % Fe 3+ ion. Simultaneously, the phase transitions gradually changed from classical ferroelectric-to-paraelectric phase transitions into diffuse phase transitions with a weak relaxor characteristic. Purely electrostrictive responses with giant electrostrictive coefficient Q 33 between 0.04 and 0.05 m 4 /C 2 are observed from 25 to 100 °C for the compositions doped with 1-2 mol % Fe 3+ ion. The Q 33 of Fe 3+ -doped BZT-0.5BCT ceramics is almost twice the Q 33 of other ferroelectric ceramics. These observations suggest that the present system can be considered as a potential lead-free material for the applications in electrostrictive area and that BT-based ferroelectric ceramics would have giant electrostrictive coefficient over other ferroelectric systems.

  20. Ferroelectric Diodes with Charge Injection and Trapping

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fan, Zhen; Fan, Hua; Lu, Zengxing; Li, Peilian; Huang, Zhifeng; Tian, Guo; Yang, Lin; Yao, Junxiang; Chen, Chao; Chen, Deyang; Yan, Zhibo; Lu, Xubing; Gao, Xingsen; Liu, Jun-Ming

    2017-01-01

    Ferroelectric diodes with polarization-modulated Schottky barriers are promising for applications in resistive switching (RS) memories. However, they have not achieved satisfactory performance reliability as originally hoped. The physical origins underlying this issue have not been well studied, although they deserve much attention. Here, by means of scanning Kelvin probe microscopy we show that the electrical poling of ferroelectric diodes can cause significant charge injection and trapping besides polarization switching. We further show that the reproducibility and stability of switchable diode-type RS behavior are significantly affected by the interfacial traps. A theoretical model is then proposed to quantitatively describe the modifications of Schottky barriers by charge injection and trapping. This model is able to reproduce various types of hysteretic current-voltage characteristics as experimentally observed. It is further revealed that the charge injection and trapping can significantly modify the electroresistance ratio, RS polarity, and high- or low-resistance states initially defined by the polarization direction. Several approaches are suggested to suppress the effect of charge injection and trapping so as to realize high-performance polarization-reversal-induced RS. This study, therefore, reveals the microscopic mechanisms for the RS behavior comodulated by polarization reversal and charge trapping in ferroelectric diodes, and also provides useful suggestions for developing reliable ferroelectric RS memories.

  1. Structural and dielectric characteristics of Ba3Ln3Ti5Nb5O30 (Ln = La, Nd, Sm) filled tungsten bronze ceramics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Wang; Gao, Ting Ting; Zhu, Xiao Li; Chen, Xiang Ming

    2018-03-01

    In the present work, the structural, dielectric and relaxor ferroelectric properties were investigated for Ba3Ln3Ti5Nb5O30 (Ln = La, Nd, Sm) ceramics. The filled tungsten bronze phase with space group P4/mbm was confirmed for all compositions, while a small amount of secondary phase was detected in Ba3Nd3Ti5Nb5O30 and Ba3Sm3Ti5Nb5O30. The typical relaxor ferroelectric behaviors were observed: a broad peak of dielectric constant shifting to higher temperatures and decreasing its magnitude with increasing frequency and the frequency dispersion obeying the Vogel-Fulcher relationship. The P-E (polarization-electric field) hysteresis loops were obtained for Ba3Ln3Ti5Nb5O30 (Ln = La, Nd, Sm) ceramics at low temperatures. The nanoscale ferroelectric 180° domains with strip-like shape were observed in the paraelectric matrix at room temperature, where the commensurate structural modulations were determined in the domains and incommensurate ones were determined in the matrix. The significant differences were determined between the present ceramics and Ba4Ln2Ti4Nb6O30 and Ba5LnTi3Nb7O30 because of the different distribution patterns of A1 and A2 cations.

  2. Micro- and nanodomain imaging in uniaxial ferroelectrics: Joint application of optical, confocal Raman, and piezoelectric force microscopy

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Shur, V. Ya., E-mail: vladimir.shur@urfu.ru; Zelenovskiy, P. S.

    2014-08-14

    The application of the most effective methods of the domain visualization in model uniaxial ferroelectrics of lithium niobate (LN) and lithium tantalate (LT) family, and relaxor strontium-barium niobate (SBN) have been reviewed in this paper. We have demonstrated the synergetic effect of joint usage of optical, confocal Raman, and piezoelectric force microscopies which provide extracting of the unique information about formation of the micro- and nanodomain structures. The methods have been applied for investigation of various types of domain structures with increasing complexity: (1) periodical domain structure in LN and LT, (2) nanodomain structures in LN, LT, and SBN, (3)more » nanodomain structures in LN with modified surface layer, (4) dendrite domain structure in LN. The self-assembled appearance of quasi-regular nanodomain structures in highly non-equilibrium switching conditions has been considered.« less

  3. Analysis and design of ferroelectric-based smart antenna structures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ramesh, Prashanth; Washington, Gregory N.

    2009-03-01

    Ferroelectrics in microwave antenna systems offer benefits of electronic tunability, compact size and light weight, speed of operation, high power-handling, low dc power consumption, and potential for low loss and cost. Ferroelectrics allow for the tuning of microwave devices by virtue of the nonlinear dependence of their dielectric permittivity on an applied electric field. Experiments on the field-polarization dependence of ferroelectric thin films show variation in dielectric permittivity of up to 50%. This is in contrast to the conventional dielectric materials used in electrical devices which have a relatively constant permittivity, indicative of the linear field-polarization curve. Ferroelectrics, with their variable dielectric constant introduce greater flexibility in correction and control of beam shapes and beam direction of antenna structures. The motivation behind this research is applying ferroelectrics to mechanical load bearing antenna structures, but in order to develop such structures, we need to understand not just the field-permittivity dependence, but also the coupled electro-thermo-mechanical behavior of ferroelectrics. In this paper, two models are discussed: a nonlinear phenomenological model relating the applied fields, strains and temperature to the dielectric permittivity based on the Devonshire thermodynamic framework, and a phenomenological model relating applied fields and temperature to the dielectric loss tangent. The models attempt to integrate the observed field-permittivity, strain-permittivity and temperature-permittivity behavior into one single unified model and extend the resulting model to better fit experimental data. Promising matches with experimental data are obtained. These relations, coupled with the expression for operating frequency vs. the permittivity are then used to understand the bias field vs. frequency behavior of the antenna. Finally, the effect of the macroscopic variables on the antenna radiation efficiency is

  4. Lattice dynamics and broad-band dielectric properties of multiferroic Pb(Fe{sub 1/2}Nb{sub 1/2})O{sub 3} ceramics

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Mackeviciute, R.; Greicius, S.; Grigalaitis, R.

    2015-02-28

    Complex dielectric properties of Pb(Fe{sub 1/2}Nb{sub 1/2})O{sub 3} ceramics were investigated in a broad frequency range from 100 Hz up to 90 THz. A broad dielectric anomaly was observed near the temperature of the ferroelectric phase transition (T{sub C1} = 376 K). Below 1 MHz, the anomaly is strongly influenced by conductivity of the sample, but higher frequency data taken up to 81 MHz reveal a broad and frequency independent peak at T{sub C1} typical for a diffuse ferroelectric phase transition. Surprisingly, dielectric permittivity measured at 37 GHz exhibits a peak shifted by 25 K above T{sub C1}, which indicates polar nanoregions with dynamics in microwave frequencymore » region. A dielectric relaxation, which appears in THz region below 700 K, slows down towards T{sub C1} and again hardens below T{sub C2} = 356 K. This central mode drives both phase transitions, so they belong to order–disorder type, although the polar phonons exhibit anomalies near both phase transitions. In the paraelectric phase, infrared reflectivity spectra correspond to local Fm3{sup ¯}m structure due to short-range chemical ordering of Fe and Nb cations on the B perovskite sites. Moreover, each polar phonon is split due to two different cations on the B sites. Recently, Manley et al. [Nat. Commun. 5, 3683 (2014)] proposed a new mechanism of creation of polar nanoregions in relaxor ferroelectrics. They argued, based on their inelastic neutron scattering studies of PMN–PT, that the TO1 phonon is split and interaction of both components gives rise to so called Anderson phonon localization, which can produce regions of trapped standing waves and these waves induce polar nanoregions in relaxors. We cannot exclude or confirm this mechanism, but we show that the splitting of polar phonons is a common feature for all complex perovskites with relaxor ferroelectric behavior and it can be also observed in canonical ferroelectric BaTiO{sub 3}, where the soft mode is

  5. Enhancing interfacial magnetization with a ferroelectric

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Meyer, Tricia L.; Herklotz, Andreas; Lauter, Valeria

    Ferroelectric control of interfacial magnetism has attracted much attention. However, the coupling of these two functionalities has not been understood well at the atomic scale. The lack of scientific progress is mainly due to the limited characterization methods by which the interface’s magnetic properties can be probed at an atomic level. In this paper, we use polarized neutron reflectometry to probe the evolution of the magnetic moment at interfaces in ferroelectric/strongly correlated oxide [PbZr 0.2Ti 0.8O 3/La 0.8Sr 0.2MnO 3(PZT/LSMO)] heterostructures. We find that the magnetization at the surfaces and interfaces of our LSMO films without PZT are always deterioratedmore » and such magnetic deterioration can be greatly improved by interfacing with a strongly polar PZT film. Magnetoelectric coupling of magnetism and ferroelectric polarization was observed within a couple of nanometers of the interface via an increase in the LSMO surface magnetization to 4.0μ B/f.u., a value nearly 70% higher than the surface magnetization of our LSMO film without interfacing with a ferroelectric layer. We attribute this behavior to hole depletion driven by the ferroelectric polarization. Finally, these compelling results not only probe the presence of nanoscale magnetic suppression and its control by ferroelectrics, but also emphasize the importance of utilizing probing techniques that can distinguish between bulk and interfacial phenomena.« less

  6. Enhancing interfacial magnetization with a ferroelectric

    DOE PAGES

    Meyer, Tricia L.; Herklotz, Andreas; Lauter, Valeria; ...

    2016-11-21

    Ferroelectric control of interfacial magnetism has attracted much attention. However, the coupling of these two functionalities has not been understood well at the atomic scale. The lack of scientific progress is mainly due to the limited characterization methods by which the interface’s magnetic properties can be probed at an atomic level. In this paper, we use polarized neutron reflectometry to probe the evolution of the magnetic moment at interfaces in ferroelectric/strongly correlated oxide [PbZr 0.2Ti 0.8O 3/La 0.8Sr 0.2MnO 3(PZT/LSMO)] heterostructures. We find that the magnetization at the surfaces and interfaces of our LSMO films without PZT are always deterioratedmore » and such magnetic deterioration can be greatly improved by interfacing with a strongly polar PZT film. Magnetoelectric coupling of magnetism and ferroelectric polarization was observed within a couple of nanometers of the interface via an increase in the LSMO surface magnetization to 4.0μ B/f.u., a value nearly 70% higher than the surface magnetization of our LSMO film without interfacing with a ferroelectric layer. We attribute this behavior to hole depletion driven by the ferroelectric polarization. Finally, these compelling results not only probe the presence of nanoscale magnetic suppression and its control by ferroelectrics, but also emphasize the importance of utilizing probing techniques that can distinguish between bulk and interfacial phenomena.« less

  7. Ferroelectric memory based on molybdenum disulfide and ferroelectric hafnium oxide

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yap, Wui Chung; Jiang, Hao; Xia, Qiangfei; Zhu, Wenjuan

    Recently, ferroelectric hafnium oxide (HfO2) was discovered as a new type of ferroelectric material with the advantages of high coercive field, excellent scalability (down to 2.5 nm), and good compatibility with CMOS processing. In this work, we demonstrate, for the first time, 2D ferroelectric memories with molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) as the channel material and aluminum doped HfO2 as the ferroelectric gate dielectric. A 16 nm thick layer of HfO2, doped with 5.26% aluminum, was deposited via atomic layer deposition (ALD), then subjected to rapid thermal annealing (RTA) at 1000 °C, and the polarization-voltage characteristics of the resulting metal-ferroelectric-metal (MFM) capacitors were measured, showing a remnant polarization of 0.6 μC/cm2. Ferroelectric memories with embedded ferroelectric hafnium oxide stacks and monolayer MoS2 were fabricated. The transfer characteristics after program and erase pulses revealed a clear ferroelectric memory window. In addition, endurance (up to 10,000 cycles) of the devices were tested and effects associated with ferroelectric materials, such as the wake-up effect and polarization fatigue, were observed. This research can potentially lead to advances of 2D materials in low-power logic and memory applications.

  8. Ferroelectric tunneling element and memory applications which utilize the tunneling element

    DOEpatents

    Kalinin, Sergei V [Knoxville, TN; Christen, Hans M [Knoxville, TN; Baddorf, Arthur P [Knoxville, TN; Meunier, Vincent [Knoxville, TN; Lee, Ho Nyung [Oak Ridge, TN

    2010-07-20

    A tunneling element includes a thin film layer of ferroelectric material and a pair of dissimilar electrically-conductive layers disposed on opposite sides of the ferroelectric layer. Because of the dissimilarity in composition or construction between the electrically-conductive layers, the electron transport behavior of the electrically-conductive layers is polarization dependent when the tunneling element is below the Curie temperature of the layer of ferroelectric material. The element can be used as a basis of compact 1R type non-volatile random access memory (RAM). The advantages include extremely simple architecture, ultimate scalability and fast access times generic for all ferroelectric memories.

  9. Polarization and resistive switching behavior of ferroelectric tunnel junctions with transition metal dichalcogenides

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Tao; Lipatov, Alexey; Sharma, Pankaj; Lee, Hyungwoo; Eom, Chang-Beom; Sinitskii, Alexander; Gruverman, Alexei; Alexei Gruverman Team; Alexander Sinitskii Team; Chang-Beom Eom Team

    Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) are emerging 2-dimensional (2D) materials of the MX2 type, where M is a transition metal atom (Mo, W, Ti, Sn, Zr, etc.) and X is a chalcogen atom (S, Se, or Te.). Comparing to graphene, TMDs have a sizable band gap and can be metal, half-metal, semiconductor or superconductor. Their band structures can be tuned by external bias voltage, mechanical force, or light illumination. Their rich physical properties make TMDs potential candidates for a variety of applications in nanoelectronics and optoelectronics. Ferroelectric tunnel junctions (FTJs) are actively studied as a next-generation of non-volatile memory elements. An FTJ comprises a ferroelectric tunnel barrier sandwiched between two electrodes. In this work, we investigate the resistive switching behavior of MoS2/BaTiO3-based FTJs. The ON/OFF ratio can be modulated via electric or mechanical control of the switched polarization fraction opening a possibility of tunable electroresistance effect. Effect of optical illumination on the polarization reversal dynamics has been observed and analyzed based on the polarization-induced modulation of the MoS2 layered electronic properties.

  10. Classical ferroelectriclike behavior of highly ordered Pb (S c1 /2N b1 /2)O3 studied by dielectric and Brillouin scattering spectroscopy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sivasubramanian, V.; Subramanian, V.; Kojima, S.

    2016-02-01

    The ferroelectric phase transition behavior in the highly ordered Pb (S c1 /2N b1 /2) O3 has been investigated by the dielectric and Brillouin spectroscopy. The dielectric permittivity ɛr exhibits a sharp maximum without any frequency dispersion at its Curie temperature Tc. In the temperature range far above Tc, it was noted that the dielectric permittivity exhibits a noticeable deviation from the Curie-Weiss law below the characteristic intermediate temperature T*=500 K , which is common to most of the Pb-based oxide perovskite relaxors. Upon cooling, the frequency of the longitudinal acoustic phonon mode exhibits a remarkable softening towards Tc. The relaxation time of the order parameter calculated using the Landau-Khalatnikov approach was determined to be more than one order of magnitude lower than that of the disordered Pb (S c1 /2N b1 /2)O3 and is very close to that observed in the paraelectric phase of the classical ferroelectric, BaTi O3 . The observed dielectric and relaxation features are qualitatively discussed in terms of the difference in the strength of the random electric fields.

  11. Impact induced depolarization of ferroelectric materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Agrawal, Vinamra; Bhattacharya, Kaushik

    2018-06-01

    We study the large deformation dynamic behavior and the associated nonlinear electro-thermo-mechanical coupling exhibited by ferroelectric materials in adiabatic environments. This is motivated by a ferroelectric generator which involves pulsed power generation by loading the ferroelectric material with a shock, either by impact or a blast. Upon impact, a shock wave travels through the material inducing a ferroelectric to nonpolar phase transition giving rise to a large voltage difference in an open circuit situation or a large current in a closed circuit situation. In the first part of this paper, we provide a general continuum mechanical treatment of the situation assuming a sharp phase boundary that is possibly charged. We derive the governing laws, as well as the driving force acting on the phase boundary. In the second part, we use the derived equations and a particular constitutive relation that describes the ferroelectric to nonpolar phase transition to study a uniaxial plate impact problem. We develop a numerical method where the phase boundary is tracked but other discontinuities are captured using a finite volume method. We compare our results with experimental observations to find good agreement. Specifically, our model reproduces the observed exponential rise of charge as well as the resistance dependent Hugoniot. We conclude with a parameter study that provides detailed insight into various aspects of the problem.

  12. Structure and dielectric properties of (Ba0.7Sr0.3)1- x Na x (Ti0.9Sn0.1)1- x Nb x O3 ceramics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ghoudi, Hanen; Chkoundali, Souad; Aydi, Abdelhedi; Khirouni, Kamel

    2017-11-01

    (Ba0.7Sr0.3)1- x Na x (Ti0.9Sn0.1)1- x Nb x O3 ceramics with compositions x = 0.6, 0.7, 0.8 and 0.9 were synthesized using the solid-state reaction method. These ceramics were examined by X-ray diffraction and dielectric measurements over a broad temperature and frequency ranges. X-ray diffraction patterns revealed a single-perovskite phase crystallized in a cubic structure, for x < 0.8, and in tetragonal, for x ≥ 0.8, with Pm3m and P4mm spaces groups, respectively. Two types of behaviors, classical ferroelectric or relaxor, were observed depending on the x composition. It is noted that temperatures T C (the Curie temperature) or T m (the temperature of maximum permittivity) rise when x increases and the relaxor character grows more significantly when x composition decreases. To analyze the dielectric relaxation degree of relaxor, various models were considered. It was proven that an exponential function could well describe the temperature dependence of the static dielectric constant and relaxation time.

  13. Influence of seed nano-crystals on electrical properties and phase transition behaviors of Ba0.85Sr0.15Ti0.90Zr0.10O3 ceramics prepared by seed-induced method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sutjarittangtham, Krit; Intatha, Uraiwan; Eitssayeam, Sukum

    2015-05-01

    This work studied the effects of seed nano-crystal on the electrical properties and the phase transition behaviors of Ba0.85Sr0.15Ti0.90Zr0.10O3 (BSZT) ceramics. The BSZT ceramics were prepared by the seed-induced method. The seed nano-crystal were prepared by the molten salt technique, and NaCl-KCl (1:1 by mole) eutectic mixtures were used as the flux.[1] The ceramic powders were prepared by using a conventional method which added seed nano-crystals at various ratios. Results indicated that seed nano-crystals enhanced the electrical properties of ceramics. The sample with a 20 wt. % seed nano crystals has excellent value of dielectric constant ( µ r ) of 34698 at maximum temperature. The phase transition temperature was observed at 60°C. The morphology was found that the grain size increasing significantly with an increased of seed nano crystals. The relaxor ferroelectric phase transition behavior was shown by a diffuseness parameter ( ³). An increase in the BSZT-seed showed a decreased in ³ value from 1.61 to 1.44. Thus the ferroelectric of the BSZT ceramics can be confirmed by hysteresis loop.[Figure not available: see fulltext.

  14. Ferroelectric and photocatalytic behavior of bismuth ferrite nano wire

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    William, R. V.; Marikani, A.; Madhavan, D.

    2016-05-01

    Multiferroic bismuth ferrite nanowires are prepared through polyol method with an average diameter of 35 nm with a narrow size distribution. The band gap was determined to be 2.10 eV, indicating their potential application as visible-light-response photo catalyst. The magnificent photocatalytic behaviors of BiFeO3 nanowires are understood from the methyl violet degradation under visible light irradiation. Moreover, the nano-wire takes only a lesser time for the diffusion of electron-hole pair from the surface of the sample. Further the BiFeO3 nano-wire was characterized using XRD, SEM, and U-V. The ferroelectric studies of BiFeO3 nano-wire show a frequency dependent property and maximum coercivity of 2.7 V/cm were achieved with a remanent polarization at 0.5 µC/cm2 at the frequency 4 kHz. The coercivity of BiFeO3 nano wire changes with variation of frequency from 1 kHz to 4 kHz.

  15. Impact of substrate on structure and electrical properties in lead-based ferroelectric thin films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Valanoor, Nagarajan Venkatasubramanian

    polydomain formation on quasi-static and dynamic polarization switching. To correlate the material microstructure to switching, an activation field, alpha, is introduced. It is shown theoretically that alpha ∝ (c/a-1)3.5 and a good experimental fit can be obtained. However it is observed that polydomain formation does not impact the electromechanical and dielectric response significantly. It is shown experimentally and theoretically that stress-induced polarization varies only by 10%. Therefore to study the impact of in plane stresses induced by substrate on piezoelectric and dielectric response we chose a "soft" relaxor ferroelectric (RFE) wherein the Curie temperature is close to room temperature. In this case even a small application of stress can change the properties significantly. The relaxor composition chosen was PbMg1/3Nb 2/3O3(90%)-PbTiO3(10%). By systematically changing the substrate and the thickness, stresses in the film the electromechanical constants is varied. High-resolution electron microscopy revealed a distinct change in the microstructure as a function of thickness, and a probable answer as to why thin films show inferior properties compared to bulk materials is proposed. The last part of this thesis focuses on the effect of micro stresses. Two examples are demonstrated where the mechanical forces of interaction between the film and substrate are manipulated on a very local scale. We show that by inducing stresses at local regions one can induce polydomains in film thinner than previously calculated critical thickness, while by removing constraint at local regions we can enhance the d33 co-efficient to values higher than those shown by bulk ceramics.

  16. Stabilization of Polar Nanoregions in Pb-free Ferroelectrics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pramanick, A.; Dmowski, W.; Egami, T.; Budisuharto, A. Setiadi; Weyland, F.; Novak, N.; Christianson, A. D.; Borreguero, J. M.; Abernathy, D. L.; Jørgensen, M. R. V.

    2018-05-01

    The formation of polar nanoregions through solid-solution additions is known to enhance significantly the functional properties of ferroelectric materials. Despite considerable progress in characterizing the microscopic behavior of polar nanoregions (PNR), understanding their real-space atomic structure and dynamics of their formation remains a considerable challenge. Here, using the method of dynamic pair distribution function, we provide direct insights into the role of solid-solution additions towards the stabilization of polar nanoregions in the Pb-free ferroelectric of Ba (Zr ,Ti )O3 . It is shown that for an optimum level of substitution of Ti by larger Zr ions, the dynamics of atomic displacements for ferroelectric polarization are slowed sufficiently below THz frequencies, which leads to increased local correlation among dipoles within PNRs. The dynamic pair distribution function technique demonstrates a unique capability to obtain insights into locally correlated atomic dynamics in disordered materials, including new Pb-free ferroelectrics, which is necessary to understand and control their functional properties.

  17. Supramolecular ferroelectrics.

    PubMed

    Tayi, Alok S; Kaeser, Adrien; Matsumoto, Michio; Aida, Takuzo; Stupp, Samuel I

    2015-04-01

    Supramolecular chemistry uses non-covalent interactions to coax molecules into forming ordered assemblies. The construction of ordered materials with these reversible bonds has led to dramatic innovations in organic electronics, polymer science and biomaterials. Here, we review how supramolecular strategies can advance the burgeoning field of organic ferroelectricity. Ferroelectrics - materials with a spontaneous and electrically reversible polarization - are touted for use in non-volatile computer memories, sensors and optics. Historically, this physical phenomenon has been studied in inorganic materials, although some organic examples are known and strong interest exists to extend the search for ferroelectric molecular systems. Other undiscovered applications outside this regime could also emerge. We describe the key features necessary for molecular and supramolecular dipoles in organic ferroelectrics and their incorporation into ordered systems, such as porous frameworks and liquid crystals. The goal of this Review is to motivate the development of innovative supramolecular ferroelectrics that exceed the performance and usefulness of known systems.

  18. Mesopores induced zero thermal expansion in single-crystal ferroelectrics.

    PubMed

    Ren, Zhaohui; Zhao, Ruoyu; Chen, Xing; Li, Ming; Li, Xiang; Tian, He; Zhang, Ze; Han, Gaorong

    2018-04-24

    For many decades, zero thermal expansion materials have been the focus of numerous investigations because of their intriguing physical properties and potential applications in high-precision instruments. Different strategies, such as composites, solid solution and doping, have been developed as promising approaches to obtain zero thermal expansion materials. However, microstructure controlled zero thermal expansion behavior via interface or surface has not been realized. Here we report the observation of an impressive zero thermal expansion (volumetric thermal expansion coefficient, -1.41 × 10 -6  K -1 , 293-623 K) in single-crystal ferroelectric PbTiO 3 fibers with large-scale faceted and enclosed mesopores. The zero thermal expansion behavior is attributed to a synergetic effect of positive thermal expansion near the mesopores due to the oxygen-based polarization screening and negative thermal expansion from an intrinsic ferroelectricity. Our results show that a fascinating surface construction in negative thermal expansion ferroelectric materials could be a promising strategy to realize zero thermal expansion.

  19. Constitutive relations of ferroelectric ceramics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Su, Yu

    The objective of this thesis is to obtain a better understanding on the fundamental constitutive behavior of ferroelectric ceramics based on the physics of phase transition, micromechanics of heterogeneous materials, and principles of irreversible thermodynamics. Within this framework, a self-consistent model is developed to investigate the electromechanical responses of ferroelectric polycrystals under temperature change and electromechanical loading. Cooling of a paraelectric crystal below its curie temperature Tc would result in spontaneous polarization, whereas electromechanical loading on a poled crystal could lead to domain switch. Domain growth and reorientation inside ferroelectric crystals are studied in light of these phase transition and domain switch. In this process, the change of the effective elastic, dielectric and piezoelectric constants during the evolution of microstructures are examined. In addition, hysteresis loops for the electric displacement and other related phenomena are computed under cyclic electric load. On top of all methods implemented in this work, the kinetic equation derived from the irreversible thermodynamics is the key to study the domain evolution in ferroelectric crystals. The kinetic relation not only governs the growth of new domain in a ferroelectric crystal, but it also determines the onset of phase transition. This characteristic is used to study the effect of hydrostatic pressure on the shift of Curie temperature of a ferroelectric crystal. Based on the derived expressions, it is observed that the deriving force can increase or decrease upon applied hydrostatic mechanical loading, depending on the change of electromechanical moduli, eigenstrain and electro-polarization. Several typical cases are computed and it is found that the change of the electromechanical moduli during phase transformation plays the key role in the shift of Curie temperature. Since ferroelectric ceramics are in a polycrystal form, a self

  20. On bistable states retention in ferroelectric Langmuir-Blodgett films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Geivandov, A. R.; Palto, S. P.; Yudin, S. G.; Fridkin, V. M.; Blinov, L. M.; Ducharme, S.

    2003-08-01

    A new insight into the nature of ferroelectricity is emerging from the study of ultra-thin ferroelectric films prepared of poly(vinylidene fluoride with trifluoroethylene) copolymer using Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) technique. Unique properties of these films indicate the existence of two-dimensional ferroelectricity. The retention of two polarized states in ferroelectric polymer LB films is studied using nonlinear dielectric spectroscopy. The technique is based on phase sensitive measurements of nonlinear dielectric spectroscopy. The amplitude of the current response at the 2nd harmonic of the applied voltage is proportional to the magnitude of the remnant polarization, while its phase gives the sign. We have found that 10 - 20 mm thick LB films can show fast switching time and long retention of the two polarized states. Nevertheless, LB films show a pronounced asymmetry in switching to the opposite states. Possible mechanisms of such behavior are discussed.

  1. Investigation of ferroelectric liquid crystal orientation in the silica microcapillaries

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Budaszewski, D.; Domański, A. W.; Woliński, T. R.

    2013-05-01

    In the paper we present our recent results concerning the orientation of ferroelectric liquid crystal molecules inside silica micro capillaries. We have infiltrated the silica micro capillaries with experimental ferroelectric liquid crystal material W-260K synthesized in the Military University of Technology. The infiltrated micro capillaries were observed under the polarization microscope while both a polarizer and an analyzer were crossed. The studies on the orientation of ferroelectric liquid crystal molecules may contribute to further studies on behavior of this group of liquid crystal materials inside photonic crystal fiber. The obtained results may lead to design of a new type of fast optical fiber sensors.

  2. "Negative capacitance" in resistor-ferroelectric and ferroelectric-dielectric networks: Apparent or intrinsic?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Saha, Atanu K.; Datta, Suman; Gupta, Sumeet K.

    2018-03-01

    In this paper, we describe and analytically substantiate an alternate explanation for the negative capacitance (NC) effect in ferroelectrics (FE). We claim that the NC effect previously demonstrated in resistance-ferroelectric (R-FE) networks does not necessarily validate the existence of "S" shaped relation between polarization and voltage (according to Landau theory). In fact, the NC effect can be explained without invoking the "S"-shaped behavior of FE. We employ an analytical model for FE (Miller model) in which the steady state polarization strictly increases with the voltage across the FE and show that despite the inherent positive FE capacitance, reduction in FE voltage with the increase in its charge is possible in a R-FE network as well as in a ferroelectric-dielectric (FE-DE) stack. This can be attributed to a large increase in FE capacitance near the coercive voltage coupled with the polarization lag with respect to the electric field. Under certain conditions, these two factors yield transient NC effect. We analytically derive conditions for NC effect in R-FE and FE-DE networks. We couple our analysis with extensive simulations to explain the evolution of NC effect. We also compare the trends predicted by the aforementioned Miller model with Landau-Khalatnikov (L-K) model (static negative capacitance due to "S"-shape behaviour) and highlight the differences between the two approaches. First, with an increase in external resistance in the R-FE network, NC effect shows a non-monotonic behavior according to Miller model but increases according to L-K model. Second, with the increase in ramp-rate of applied voltage in the FE-DE stack, NC effect increases according to Miller model but decreases according to L-K model. These results unveil a possible way to experimentally validate the actual reason of NC effect in FE.

  3. Stabilization of Polar Nanoregions in Pb-free Ferroelectrics

    DOE PAGES

    Pramanick, A.; Dmowski, Wojciech; Egami, Takeshi; ...

    2018-05-18

    In this study, the formation of polar nanoregions through solid-solution additions is known to enhance significantly the functional properties of ferroelectric materials. Despite considerable progress in characterizing the microscopic behavior of polar nanoregions (PNR), understanding their real-space atomic structure and dynamics of their formation remains a considerable challenge. Here, using the method of dynamic pair distribution function, we provide direct insights into the role of solid-solution additions towards the stabilization of polar nanoregions in the Pb-free ferroelectric of Ba(Zr,Ti)O 3. It is shown that for an optimum level of substitution of Ti by larger Zr ions, the dynamics of atomicmore » displacements for ferroelectric polarization are slowed sufficiently below THz frequencies, which leads to increased local correlation among dipoles within PNRs. The dynamic pair distribution function technique demonstrates a unique capability to obtain insights into locally correlated atomic dynamics in disordered materials, including new Pb-free ferroelectrics, which is necessary to understand and control their functional properties.« less

  4. Stabilization of Polar Nanoregions in Pb-free Ferroelectrics

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Pramanick, A.; Dmowski, Wojciech; Egami, Takeshi

    In this study, the formation of polar nanoregions through solid-solution additions is known to enhance significantly the functional properties of ferroelectric materials. Despite considerable progress in characterizing the microscopic behavior of polar nanoregions (PNR), understanding their real-space atomic structure and dynamics of their formation remains a considerable challenge. Here, using the method of dynamic pair distribution function, we provide direct insights into the role of solid-solution additions towards the stabilization of polar nanoregions in the Pb-free ferroelectric of Ba(Zr,Ti)O 3. It is shown that for an optimum level of substitution of Ti by larger Zr ions, the dynamics of atomicmore » displacements for ferroelectric polarization are slowed sufficiently below THz frequencies, which leads to increased local correlation among dipoles within PNRs. The dynamic pair distribution function technique demonstrates a unique capability to obtain insights into locally correlated atomic dynamics in disordered materials, including new Pb-free ferroelectrics, which is necessary to understand and control their functional properties.« less

  5. Ferroelectric and photocatalytic behavior of bismuth ferrite nano wire

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    William, R. V.; Marikani, A., E-mail: amari@mepcoeng.ac.in; Madhavan, D.

    Multiferroic bismuth ferrite nanowires are prepared through polyol method with an average diameter of 35 nm with a narrow size distribution. The band gap was determined to be 2.10 eV, indicating their potential application as visible-light-response photo catalyst. The magnificent photocatalytic behaviors of BiFeO{sub 3} nanowires are understood from the methyl violet degradation under visible light irradiation. Moreover, the nano-wire takes only a lesser time for the diffusion of electron-hole pair from the surface of the sample. Further the BiFeO{sub 3} nano-wire was characterized using XRD, SEM, and U-V. The ferroelectric studies of BiFeO{sub 3} nano-wire show a frequency dependent propertymore » and maximum coercivity of 2.7 V/cm were achieved with a remanent polarization at 0.5 µC/cm{sup 2} at the frequency 4 kHz. The coercivity of BiFeO{sub 3} nano wire changes with variation of frequency from 1 kHz to 4 kHz.« less

  6. Ferroelectrics for semiconductor devices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sayer, M.; Wu, Z.; Vasant Kumar, C. V. R.; Amm, D. T.; Griswold, E. M.

    1992-11-01

    The technology for the implementation of the integration of thin film ferroelectrics with silicon processing for various devices is described, and factors affecting the integration of ferroelectric films with semiconductor processing are discussed. Consideration is also given to film properties, the properties of electrode materials and structures, and the phenomena of ferroelectric fatigue and aging. Particular attention is given to the nonmemory device application of ferroelectrics.

  7. Ferroelectric Field Effect Transistor Model Using Partitioned Ferroelectric Layer and Partial Polarization

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    MacLeod, Todd C.; Ho, Fat D.

    2004-01-01

    A model of an n-channel ferroelectric field effect transistor has been developed based on both theoretical and empirical data. The model is based on an existing model that incorporates partitioning of the ferroelectric layer to calculate the polarization within the ferroelectric material. The model incorporates several new aspects that are useful to the user. It takes into account the effect of a non-saturating gate voltage only partially polarizing the ferroelectric material based on the existing remnant polarization. The model also incorporates the decay of the remnant polarization based on the time history of the FFET. A gate pulse of a specific voltage; will not put the ferroelectric material into a single amount of polarization for that voltage, but instead vary with previous state of the material and the time since the last change to the gate voltage. The model also utilizes data from FFETs made from different types of ferroelectric materials to allow the user just to input the material being used and not recreate the entire model. The model also allows the user to input the quality of the ferroelectric material being used. The ferroelectric material quality can go from a theoretical perfect material with little loss and no decay to a less than perfect material with remnant losses and decay. This model is designed to be used by people who need to predict the external characteristics of a FFET before the time and expense of design and fabrication. It also allows the parametric evaluation of quality of the ferroelectric film on the overall performance of the transistor.

  8. Effect of crystal structure and cationic order on phonon modes across ferroelectric phase transformation in Pb(Fe{sub 0.5-x}Sc{sub x}Nb{sub 0.5})O{sub 3} bulk ceramics

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Mallesham, B.; Ranjith, R., E-mail: ranjith@iith.ac.in; Viswanath, B.

    Pb(Fe{sub 0.5-x}Sc{sub x}Nb{sub 0.5})O{sub 3} [(PFSN) (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.5)] multiferroic relaxors were synthesized and the temperature dependence of phonon modes across ferroelectric to paraelectric transition was studied. With varying Sc content from x = 0 to 0.25 the structure remains monoclinic and with further addition (x = 0.3 - 0.5) the structure transforms into rhombohedral symmetry. Structural refinement studies showed that the change in crystal structure from monoclinic to rhombohedral symmetry involves a volume increment of 34-36%. Associated changes in the tolerance factor (1.024 ≤ t ≤ 0.976) and bond angles were observed. Structure assisted B′-B″ cation orderingmore » was confirmed through the superlattice reflections in selected area electron diffraction (SAED) pattern of Pb(Sc{sub 0.5}Nb{sub 0.5})O{sub 3} (x = 0.5). Cation ordering is also evident from the evolution of Pb-O phonon mode in Raman spectra of compositions with rhombohedral symmetry (x ≥ 0.3). The high temperature Raman scattering studies show that the B-localized mode [F{sub 1u}, ∼250 cm{sup −1}] and BO{sub 6} octahedral rotational mode [F{sub 1g}, ∼200 cm{sup −1}], both originating from polar nano regions (PNRs) behave like coupled phonon modes in rhombohedral symmetry. However, in monoclinic symmetry they behave independently across the transition. Softening of B localized mode across the transition followed by the hardening for all compositions confirms the diffusive nature of the ferroelectric transformation. The presence of correlation between the B localized and BO{sub 6} rotational modes introduces a weak relaxor feature for systems with rhombohedral symmetry in PFSN ceramics, which was confirmed from the macroscopic dielectric studies.« less

  9. Mechanical switching of ferroelectric domains beyond flexoelectricity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Weijin; Liu, Jianyi; Ma, Lele; Liu, Linjie; Jiang, G. L.; Zheng, Yue

    2018-02-01

    The resurgence of interest in flexoelectricity has prompted discussions on the feasibility of switching ferroelectric domains 'non-electrically'. In this work, we perform three-dimensional thermodynamic simulations in combination with ab initio calculations and effective Hamiltonian simulations to demonstrate the great effects of surface screening and surface bonding on ferroelectric domain switching triggered by local tip loading. A three-dimensional simulation scheme has been developed to capture the tip-induced domain switching behavior in ferroelectric thin films by adequately taking into account the surface screening effect and surface bonding effect of the ferroelectric film, as well as the finite elastic stiffness of the substrate and the electrode layers. The major findings are as follows. (i) Compared with flexoelectricity, surface effects can be overwhelming and lead to much more efficient mechanical switching caused by tip loading. (ii) The surface-assisted mechanical switching can be bi-directional without the necessity of reversing strain gradients. (iii) A mode transition from local to propagating domain switching occurs when the screening below a critical value. A ripple effect of domain switching appears with the formation of concentric loop domains. (iv) The ripple effect can lead to 'domain interference' and a deterministic writing of confined loop domain patterns by local excitations. Our study reveals the hidden switching mechanisms of ferroelectric domains and the possible roles of surface in mechanical switching. The ripple effect of domain switching, which is believed to be general in dipole systems, broadens our current knowledge of domain engineering.

  10. Polarization and interface charge coupling in ferroelectric/AlGaN/GaN heterostructure

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Min; Kong, Yuechan; Zhou, Jianjun; Xue, Fangshi; Li, Liang; Jiang, Wenhai; Hao, Lanzhong; Luo, Wenbo; Zeng, Huizhong

    2012-03-01

    Asymmetrical shift behaviors of capacitance-voltage (C-V) curve with opposite direction are observed in two AlGaN/GaN metal-ferroelectric-semiconductor (MFS) heterostructures with Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 and LiNbO3 gate dielectrics. By incorporating the switchable polar nature of the ferroelectric into a self-consistent calculation, the coupling effect between the ferroelectric and the interface charges is disclosed. The opposite initial orientation of ferroelectric dipoles determined by the interface charges is essentially responsible for the different C-V characteristics. A critical fixed charge density of -1.27 × 1013cm-2 is obtained, which plays a key role in the dependence of the C-V characteristic on the ferroelectric polarization. The results pave the way for design of memory devices based on MFS structure with heteropolar interface.

  11. Evolution of electrical properties and domain configuration of Mn modified Pb(In1/2Nb1/2)O3-PbTiO3 single crystals

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Qiao, Huimin; He, Chao; Yuan, Feifei; Wang, Zujian; Li, Xiuzhi; Liu, Ying; Guo, Haiyan; Long, Xifa

    2018-04-01

    The acceptor doped relaxor-based ferroelectric materials are useful for high power applications such as probes in ultrasound-guided high intensity focused ultrasound therapy. In addition, a high Curie temperature is desired because of wider temperature usage and improved temperature stability. Previous investigations have focused on Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-PbTiO3 and Pb(Zn1/3Nb2/3)O3-PbTiO3 systems, which have a ultrahigh piezoelectric coefficient and dielectric constant, but a relatively low Curie temperature. It is desirable to study the binary relaxor-based system with a high Curie temperature. Therefore, Pb(In1/2Nb1/2)O3-PbTiO3 (PINT) single crystals were chosen to study the Mn-doped influence on their electrical properties and domain configuration. The evolution of ferroelectric hysteresis loops for doped and virgin samples exhibit the pinning effect in Mn-doped PINT crystals. The relaxation behaviors of doped and virgin samples are studied by fit of the modified Curie-Weiss law and Volgel-Fucher relation. In addition, a short-range correlation length was fitted to study the behavior of polar nanoregions based on the domain configuration obtained by piezoresponse force microscopy. Complex domain structures and smaller short-range correlation lengths (100-150 nm for Mn-doped PINT and >400 nm for pure PINT) were obtained in the Mn-doped PINT single crystals.

  12. Room-temperature ferroelectricity of SrTiO{sub 3} films modulated by cation concentration

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Yang, Fang; Zhang, Qinghua; Yang, Zhenzhong

    2015-08-24

    The room-temperature ferroelectricity of SrTiO{sub 3} is promising for oxide electronic devices controlled by multiple fields. An effective way to control the ferroelectricity is highly demanded. Here, we show that the off-centered antisite-like defects in SrTiO{sub 3} films epitaxially grown on Si (001) play the determinative role in the emergence of room-temperature ferroelectricity. The density of these defects changes with the film cation concentration sensitively, resulting in a varied coercive field of the ferroelectric behavior. Consequently, the room-temperature ferroelectricity of SrTiO{sub 3} films can be effectively modulated by tuning the temperature of metal sources during the molecular beam epitaxy growth.more » Such an easy and reliable modulation of the ferroelectricity enables the flexible engineering of multifunctional oxide electronic devices.« less

  13. Ferroelectric switching of elastin

    PubMed Central

    Liu, Yuanming; Cai, Hong-Ling; Zelisko, Matthew; Wang, Yunjie; Sun, Jinglan; Yan, Fei; Ma, Feiyue; Wang, Peiqi; Chen, Qian Nataly; Zheng, Hairong; Meng, Xiangjian; Sharma, Pradeep; Zhang, Yanhang; Li, Jiangyu

    2014-01-01

    Ferroelectricity has long been speculated to have important biological functions, although its very existence in biology has never been firmly established. Here, we present compelling evidence that elastin, the key ECM protein found in connective tissues, is ferroelectric, and we elucidate the molecular mechanism of its switching. Nanoscale piezoresponse force microscopy and macroscopic pyroelectric measurements both show that elastin retains ferroelectricity at 473 K, with polarization on the order of 1 μC/cm2, whereas coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations predict similar polarization with a Curie temperature of 580 K, which is higher than most synthetic molecular ferroelectrics. The polarization of elastin is found to be intrinsic in tropoelastin at the monomer level, analogous to the unit cell level polarization in classical perovskite ferroelectrics, and it switches via thermally activated cooperative rotation of dipoles. Our study sheds light onto a long-standing question on ferroelectric switching in biology and establishes ferroelectricity as an important biophysical property of proteins. This is a critical first step toward resolving its physiological significance and pathological implications. PMID:24958890

  14. Evidence for anisotropic polar nanoregions in relaxor Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3: A neutron study of the elastic constants and anomalous TA phonon damping in PMN

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stock, C.; Gehring, P. M.; Hiraka, H.; Swainson, I.; Xu, Guangyong; Ye, Z.-G.; Luo, H.; Li, J.-F.; Viehland, D.

    2012-09-01

    We use neutron inelastic scattering to characterize the acoustic phonons in the relaxor Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3 (PMN) and demonstrate the presence of a highly anisotropic damping mechanism that is directly related to short-range polar correlations. For a large range of temperatures above Tc˜210 K, where dynamic, short-range polar correlations are present, acoustic phonons propagating along [11¯0] and polarized along [110] (TA2 phonons) are overdamped and softened across most of the Brillouin zone. By contrast, acoustic phonons propagating along [100] and polarized along [001] (TA1 phonons) are overdamped and softened for a more limited range of wave vectors q. The anisotropy and temperature dependence of the acoustic phonon energy linewidth Γ are directly correlated with neutron diffuse scattering cross section, indicating that polar nanoregions are the cause of the anomalous behavior. The damping and softening vanish for q→0, i.e., for long-wavelength acoustic phonons near the zone center, which supports the notion that the anomalous damping is a result of the coupling between the relaxational component of the diffuse scattering and the harmonic TA phonons. Therefore, these effects are not due to large changes in the elastic constants with temperature because the elastic constants correspond to the long-wavelength limit. We compare the elastic constants we measure to those from Brillouin scattering experiments and to values reported for pure PbTiO3. We show that while the values of C44 are quite similar, those for C11 and C12 are significantly less in PMN and result in a softening of (C11-C12) over PbTiO3. The elastic constants also show an increased elastic anisotropy [2C44/(C11-C12)] in PMN versus that in PbTiO3. These results are suggestive of an instability to TA2 acoustic fluctuations in PMN and other relaxor ferroelectrics. We discuss our results in the context of the current debate over the “waterfall” effect and show that they are inconsistent with

  15. Magnetic enhancement of ferroelectric polarization in a self-grown ferroelectric-ferromagnetic composite

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kumar, Amit; Narayan, Bastola; Pachat, Rohit; Ranjan, Rajeev

    2018-02-01

    Ferroelectric-ferromagnetic multiferroic composites are of great interest both from the scientific and technological standpoints. The extent of coupling between polarization and magnetization in such two-phase systems depends on how efficiently the magnetostrictive and electrostrictive/piezoelectric strain gets transferred from one phase to the other. This challenge is most profound in the easy to make 0-3 ferroelectric-ferromagnetic particulate composites. Here we report a self-grown ferroelectric-ferromagnetic 0-3 particulate composite through controlled spontaneous precipitation of ferrimagnetic barium hexaferrite phase (BaF e12O19 ) amid ferroelectric grains in the multiferroic alloy system BiFe O3-BaTi O3 . We demonstrate that a composite specimen exhibiting merely ˜1% hexaferrite phase exhibits ˜34% increase in saturation polarization in a dc magnetic field of ˜10 kOe. Using modified Rayleigh analysis of the polarization field loop in the subcoercive field region we argue that the substantial enhancement in the ferroelectric switching is associated with the reduction in the barrier heights of the pinning centers of the ferroelectric-ferroelastic domain walls in the stress field generated by magnetostriction in the hexaferrite grains when the magnetic field is turned on. Our study proves that controlled precipitation of the magnetic phase is a good strategy for synthesis of 0-3 ferroelectric-ferromagnetic particulate multiferroic composite as it not only helps in ensuring a good electrical insulating character of the composite, enabling it to sustain high enough electric field for ferroelectric switching, but also the factors associated with the spontaneity of the precipitation process ensure efficient transfer of the magnetostrictive strain/stress to the surrounding ferroelectric matrix making domain wall motion easy.

  16. Proximity to a ferroelectric instability in Ba1-xCaxZrO3

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, H. S.; Christen, H. M.; Biegalski, M. D.; Singh, D. J.

    2010-09-01

    Ferroelectricity in ABO3 perovskites driven by A-site disorder is seen as a powerful approach toward lead-free piezoelectrics and ferroelectrics as well as to forming multiferroic compounds. Here we investigate the Ba1-xCaxZrO3 solid solution by structural and dielectric measurements on pulsed laser deposition grown films and by first principles calculations. Films on SrRuO3-coated SrTiO3 substrates are studied for x between 0 and 0.44. Despite the expectation that the Ca-ions assume off-center positions in the perovskite lattice, dielectric measurements show no evidence for ferroelectricity. This behavior is explained by first principles supercell calculations that show ferroelectricity at expanded volume but a rapid suppression thereof as the volume is reduced, thus indicating that our paraelectric Ba1-xCaxZrO3 films are close to a ferroelectric instability. These results demonstrate the important interplay between unit cell volume and ferroelectricity arising from off-centered ions.

  17. Structure and Dynamics of Domains in Ferroelectric Nanostructures. In-situ TEM Studies

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Pan, Xiaoqing

    2015-06-30

    The goal of this project was to explore the structure and dynamic behaviors of ferroelectric domains in ferroelectric thin films and nanostructures by advanced transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques in close collaboration with phase field modeling. The experimental techniques used include aberration-corrected sub-Å resolution TEM and in-situ TEM using a novel scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) - TEM holder that allows the direct observation of nucleation and dynamic evolution of ferroelectric domains under applied electric field. Specifically, this project was aimed to (1) to study the roles of static electrical boundary conditions and electrical charge in controlling the equilibrium domain structuresmore » of BiFeO 3 thin films with controlled substrate constraints, (2) to explore the fundamental mechanisms of ferroelectric domain nucleation, growth, and switching under an applied electric field in both uniform thin films and nanostructures, and to understand the roles of crystal defects such as dislocations and interfaces in these processes, (3) to understand the physics of ferroelectric domain walls and the influence of defects on the electrical switching of ferroelectric domains.« less

  18. Domain switching of fatigued ferroelectric thin films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tak Lim, Yun; Yeog Son, Jong; Shin, Young-Han

    2014-05-01

    We investigate the domain wall speed of a ferroelectric PbZr0.48Ti0.52O3 (PZT) thin film using an atomic force microscope incorporated with a mercury-probe system to control the degree of electrical fatigue. The depolarization field in the PZT thin film decreases with increasing the degree of electrical fatigue. We find that the wide-range activation field previously reported in ferroelectric domains result from the change of the depolarization field caused by the electrical fatigue. Domain wall speed exhibits universal behavior to the effective electric field (defined by an applied electric field minus the depolarization field), regardless of the degree of the electrical fatigue.

  19. Nanocomposites for Electronic Applications

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1989-09-30

    response. In the tungsten bronze structure relaxors a major breakthrough is the clear documentation of spin glass behaviour in an already polar matrix, for...MPB) this behaviour is seen in both ferroelectric tetragonal and orthorhombic species.

  20. Molecular ferroelectrics: where electronics meet biology.

    PubMed

    Li, Jiangyu; Liu, Yuanming; Zhang, Yanhang; Cai, Hong-Ling; Xiong, Ren-Gen

    2013-12-28

    In the last several years, we have witnessed significant advances in molecular ferroelectrics, with the ferroelectric properties of molecular crystals approaching those of barium titanate. In addition, ferroelectricity has been observed in biological systems, filling an important missing link in bioelectric phenomena. In this perspective, we will present short historical notes on ferroelectrics, followed by an overview of the fundamentals of ferroelectricity. The latest developments in molecular ferroelectrics and biological ferroelectricity will then be highlighted, and their implications and potential applications will be discussed. We close by noting molecular ferroelectric as an exciting frontier between electronics and biology, and a number of challenges ahead are also described.

  1. Molecular ferroelectrics: where electronics meet biology

    PubMed Central

    Li, Jiangyu; Liu, Yuanming; Zhang, Yanhang; Cai, Hong-Ling; Xiong, Ren-Gen

    2013-01-01

    In the last several years, we have witnessed significant advances in molecular ferroelectrics, with ferroelectric properties of molecular crystals approaching those of barium titanate. In addition, ferroelectricity has been observed in biological systems, filling an important missing link in bioelectric phenomena. In this perspective, we will present short historical notes on ferroelectrics, followed by overview on the fundamentals of ferroelectricity. Latest development in molecular ferroelectrics and biological ferroelectricity will then be highlighted, and their implications and potential applications will be discussed. We close by noting molecular ferroelectric as an exciting frontier between electronics and biology, and a number of challenges ahead are also noted. PMID:24018952

  2. Simulation of fatigue damage in ferroelectric polycrystals under mechanical/electrical loading

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kozinov, S.; Kuna, M.

    2018-07-01

    The reliability of smart-structures made of ferroelectric ceramics is essentially reduced by the formation of cracks under the action of external electrical and/or mechanical loading. In the current research a numerical model for low-cycle fatigue in ferroelectric mesostructures is proposed. In the finite element simulations a combination of two user element routines is utilized. The first one is used to model a micromechanical ferroelectric domain switching behavior inside the grains. The second one is used to simulate fatigue damage of grain boundaries by a cohesive zone model (EMCCZM) based on an electromechanical cyclic traction-separation law (TSL). For numerical simulations a scanning electron microscope image of the ceramic's grain structure was digitalized and meshed. The response of this mesostructure to cyclic electrical or mechanical loading is systematically analyzed. As a result of the simulations, the distribution of electric potential, field, displacement and polarization as well as mechanical stresses and deformations inside the grains are obtained. At the grain boundaries, the formation and evolution of damage are analyzed until final failure and induced degradation of electric permittivity. It is found that the proposed model correctly mimics polycrystalline behavior during poling processes and progressive damage under cyclic electromechanical loading. To the authors' knowledge, it is the first model and numerical analysis of ferroelectric polycrystals taking into account both domain reorientation and cohesive modeling of intergranular fracture. It can help to understand failure mechanisms taking place in ferroelectrics during fatigue processes.

  3. Interplay between ferroelectric and resistive switching in doped crystalline HfO2

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Max, Benjamin; Pešić, Milan; Slesazeck, Stefan; Mikolajick, Thomas

    2018-04-01

    Hafnium oxide is widely used for resistive switching devices, and recently it has been discovered that ferroelectricity can be established in (un-)doped hafnium oxide as well. Previous studies showed that both switching mechanisms are influenced by oxygen vacancies. For resistive switching, typically amorphous oxide layers with an asymmetric electrode configuration are used to create a gradient of oxygen vacancies. On the other hand, ferroelectric switching is performed by having symmetric electrodes and requires crystalline structures. The coexistence of both effects has recently been demonstrated. In this work, a detailed analysis of the reversible interplay of both switching mechanisms within a single capacitor cell is investigated. First, ferroelectric switching cycles were applied in order to drive the sample into the fatigued stage characterized by increased concentration of oxygen vacancies in the oxide layer. Afterwards, a forming step that is typical for the resistive switching devices was utilized to achieve a soft breakdown. In the next step, twofold alternation between the high and low resistance state is applied to demonstrate the resistive switching behavior of the device. Having the sample in the high resistance state with a ruptured filament, ferroelectric switching behavior is again shown within the same stack. Interestingly, the same endurance as before was observed without a hard breakdown of the device. Therefore, an effective sequence of ferroelectric—resistive—ferroelectric switching is realized. Additionally, the dependence of the forming, set, and reset voltage on the ferroelectric cycling stage (pristine, woken-up and fatigued) is analyzed giving insight into the physical device operation.

  4. Prospects and applications near ferroelectric quantum phase transitions: a key issues review.

    PubMed

    Chandra, P; Lonzarich, G G; Rowley, S E; Scott, J F

    2017-11-01

    The emergence of complex and fascinating states of quantum matter in the neighborhood of zero temperature phase transitions suggests that such quantum phenomena should be studied in a variety of settings. Advanced technologies of the future may be fabricated from materials where the cooperative behavior of charge, spin and current can be manipulated at cryogenic temperatures. The progagating lattice dynamics of displacive ferroelectrics make them appealing for the study of quantum critical phenomena that is characterized by both space- and time-dependent quantities. In this key issues article we aim to provide a self-contained overview of ferroelectrics near quantum phase transitions. Unlike most magnetic cases, the ferroelectric quantum critical point can be tuned experimentally to reside at, above or below its upper critical dimension; this feature allows for detailed interplay between experiment and theory using both scaling and self-consistent field models. Empirically the sensitivity of the ferroelectric T c 's to external and to chemical pressure gives practical access to a broad range of temperature behavior over several hundreds of Kelvin. Additional degrees of freedom like charge and spin can be added and characterized systematically. Satellite memories, electrocaloric cooling and low-loss phased-array radar are among possible applications of low-temperature ferroelectrics. We end with open questions for future research that include textured polarization states and unusual forms of superconductivity that remain to be understood theoretically.

  5. Prospects and applications near ferroelectric quantum phase transitions: a key issues review

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chandra, P.; Lonzarich, G. G.; Rowley, S. E.; Scott, J. F.

    2017-11-01

    The emergence of complex and fascinating states of quantum matter in the neighborhood of zero temperature phase transitions suggests that such quantum phenomena should be studied in a variety of settings. Advanced technologies of the future may be fabricated from materials where the cooperative behavior of charge, spin and current can be manipulated at cryogenic temperatures. The progagating lattice dynamics of displacive ferroelectrics make them appealing for the study of quantum critical phenomena that is characterized by both space- and time-dependent quantities. In this key issues article we aim to provide a self-contained overview of ferroelectrics near quantum phase transitions. Unlike most magnetic cases, the ferroelectric quantum critical point can be tuned experimentally to reside at, above or below its upper critical dimension; this feature allows for detailed interplay between experiment and theory using both scaling and self-consistent field models. Empirically the sensitivity of the ferroelectric T c’s to external and to chemical pressure gives practical access to a broad range of temperature behavior over several hundreds of Kelvin. Additional degrees of freedom like charge and spin can be added and characterized systematically. Satellite memories, electrocaloric cooling and low-loss phased-array radar are among possible applications of low-temperature ferroelectrics. We end with open questions for future research that include textured polarization states and unusual forms of superconductivity that remain to be understood theoretically.

  6. B-doped diamond field-effect transistor with ferroelectric vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene gate insulator

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Karaya, Ryota; Baba, Ikki; Mori, Yosuke; Matsumoto, Tsubasa; Nakajima, Takashi; Tokuda, Norio; Kawae, Takeshi

    2017-10-01

    A B-doped diamond field-effect transistor (FET) with a ferroelectric vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene (VDF-TrFE) copolymer gate insulator was fabricated. The VDF-TrFE film deposited on the B-doped diamond showed good insulating and ferroelectric properties. Also, a Pt/VDF-TrFE/B-doped diamond layered structure showed ideal behavior as a metal-ferroelectric-semiconductor (MFS) capacitor, and the memory window width was 11 V, when the gate voltage was swept from 20 to -20 V. The fabricated MFS-type FET structure showed the typical properties of a depletion-type p-channel FET and a maximum drain current density of 0.87 mA/mm at room temperature. The drain current versus gate voltage curves of the proposed FET showed a clockwise hysteresis loop owing to the ferroelectricity of the VDF-TrFE gate insulator. In addition, we demonstrated the logic inverter with the MFS-type diamond FET coupled with a load resistor, and obtained the inversion behavior of the input signal and a maximum gain of 18.4 for the present circuit.

  7. Ferroelectric-field-effect-enhanced electroresistance in metal/ferroelectric/semiconductor tunnel junctions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wen, Zheng; Li, Chen; Wu, Di; Li, Aidong; Ming, Naiben

    2013-07-01

    Ferroelectric tunnel junctions (FTJs), composed of two metal electrodes separated by an ultrathin ferroelectric barrier, have attracted much attention as promising candidates for non-volatile resistive memories. Theoretical and experimental works have revealed that the tunnelling resistance switching in FTJs originates mainly from a ferroelectric modulation on the barrier height. However, in these devices, modulation on the barrier width is very limited, although the tunnelling transmittance depends on it exponentially as well. Here we propose a novel tunnelling heterostructure by replacing one of the metal electrodes in a normal FTJ with a heavily doped semiconductor. In these metal/ferroelectric/semiconductor FTJs, not only the height but also the width of the barrier can be electrically modulated as a result of a ferroelectric field effect, leading to a greatly enhanced tunnelling electroresistance. This idea is implemented in Pt/BaTiO3/Nb:SrTiO3 heterostructures, in which an ON/OFF conductance ratio above 104, about one to two orders greater than those reported in normal FTJs, can be achieved at room temperature. The giant tunnelling electroresistance, reliable switching reproducibility and long data retention observed in these metal/ferroelectric/semiconductor FTJs suggest their great potential in non-destructive readout non-volatile memories.

  8. Finite-size effects of hysteretic dynamics in multilayer graphene on a ferroelectric

    DOE PAGES

    Morozovska, Anna N.; Pusenkova, Anastasiia S.; Varenyk, Oleksandr V.; ...

    2015-06-11

    The origin and influence of finite-size effects on the nonlinear dynamics of space charge stored by multilayer graphene on a ferroelectric and resistivity of graphene channel were analyzed. In this paper, we develop a self-consistent approach combining the solution of electrostatic problems with the nonlinear Landau-Khalatnikov equations for a ferroelectric. The size-dependent behaviors are governed by the relations between the thicknesses of multilayer graphene, ferroelectric film, and the dielectric layer. The appearance of charge and electroresistance hysteresis loops and their versatility stem from the interplay of polarization reversal dynamics and its incomplete screening in an alternating electric field. These featuresmore » are mostly determined by the dielectric layer thickness. The derived analytical expressions for electric fields and space-charge-density distribution in a multilayer system enable knowledge-driven design of graphene-on-ferroelectric heterostructures with advanced performance. We further investigate the effects of spatially nonuniform ferroelectric domain structures on the graphene layers’ conductivity and predict its dramatic increase under the transition from multi- to single-domain state in a ferroelectric. Finally, this intriguing effect can open possibilities for the graphene-based sensors and explore the underlying physical mechanisms in the operation of graphene field-effect transistor with ferroelectric gating.« less

  9. Quantum Monte Carlo simulation of the ferroelectric or ferrielectric nanowire with core shell morphology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Feraoun, A.; Zaim, A.; Kerouad, M.

    2016-09-01

    By using the Quantum Monte Carlo simulation; the electric properties of a nanowire, consisting of a ferroelectric core of spin-1/2 surrounded by a ferroelectric shell of spin-1/2 with ferro- or anti-ferroelectric interfacial coupling have been studied within the framework of the Transverse Ising Model (TIM). We have examined the effects of the shell coupling Js, the interfacial coupling JInt, the transverse field Ω, and the temperature T on the hysteresis behavior and on the electric properties of the system. The remanent polarization and the coercive field as a function of the transverse field and the temperature are examined. A number of characteristic behavior have been found such as the appearance of triple hysteresis loops for appropriate values of the system parameters.

  10. Enhanced thermoelectric figure-of-merit in environmentally benign BaxSr2-xTiCoO6 double perovskites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Saxena, Mandvi; Roy, Pinku; Acharya, Megha; Bose, Imon; Tanwar, Khagesh; Maiti, Tanmoy

    2016-12-01

    Environmental friendly, non-toxic double perovskite BaxSr2-xTiCoO6 compositions with 0 ≤ x ≤ 0.2 were synthesized using solid-state reaction route for high temperature thermoelectric (TE) applications. XRD and SEM studies confirmed the presence of single-phase solid solution with highly dense microstructure for all the oxide compositions. Temperature dependent electrical conductivity measurement showed semiconductor to metal (M-S) transition in these double perovskites. Incorporation of barium in Sr2TiCoO6 pushed M-S transition to higher temperature making it a potential candidate for high temperature TE applications. Conductivity behaviors of these oxides were explained by small polaron model. Furthermore, these oxides exhibit a glass like behavior resulting in low thermal conductivity. Low temperature dielectric measurement revealed relaxor ferroelectric behavior in these oxides below room temperature. Transition of these relaxors into a glassy state beyond Burns temperature (TD) was found responsible for having low thermal conductivity in these oxides. Maximum dimensionless TE figure-of-merit ZT = 0.29 at 1223 K was achieved for BaxSr2-xTiCoO6 composition with x = 0.2.

  11. Atomic-level simulation of ferroelectricity in perovskite solid solutions

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Sepliarsky, M.; Instituto de Fisica Rosario, CONICET-UNR, Rosario,; Phillpot, S. R.

    2000-06-26

    Building on the insights gained from electronic-structure calculations and from experience obtained with an earlier atomic-level method, we developed an atomic-level simulation approach based on the traditional Buckingham potential with shell model which correctly reproduces the ferroelectric phase behavior and dielectric and piezoelectric properties of KNbO{sub 3}. This approach now enables the simulation of solid solutions and defected systems; we illustrate this capability by elucidating the ferroelectric properties of a KTa{sub 0.5}Nb{sub 0.5}O{sub 3} random solid solution. (c) 2000 American Institute of Physics.

  12. Recent patents on perovskite ferroelectric nanostructures.

    PubMed

    Zhu, Xinhua

    2009-01-01

    Ferroelectric oxide materials with a perovskite structure have promising applications in electronic devices such as random access memories, sensors, actuators, infrared detectors, and so on. Recent advances in science and technology of ferroelectrics have resulted in the feature sizes of ferroelectric-based electronic devices entering into nanoscale dimensions. At nanoscale perovskite ferroelectric materials exhibit a pronounced size effect manifesting itself in a significant deviation of the properties of low-dimensional structures from the bulk and film counterparts. One-dimensional perovskite ferroelectric nanotube/nanowire systems, offer fundamental scientific opportunities for investigating the intrinsic size effects in ferroelectrics. In the past several years, much progress has been made both in fabrication and physical property testing of perovskite ferroelectric nanostructures. In the first part of this paper, the recent patents and literatures for fabricating ferroelectric nanowires, nanorods, nanotubes, and nanorings with promising features, are reviewed. The second part deals with the recent advances on the physical property testing of perovskite ferroelectric nanostructures. The third part summarizes the recently patents and literatures about the microstructural characterizations of perovskite ferroelectric nanostructures, to improve their crystalline quality, morphology and uniformity. Finally, we conclude this review with personal perspectives towards the potential future developments of perovskite ferroelectric nanostructures.

  13. Giant Electroresistive Ferroelectric Diode on 2DEG

    PubMed Central

    Kim, Shin-Ik; Jin Gwon, Hyo; Kim, Dai-Hong; Keun Kim, Seong; Choi, Ji-Won; Yoon, Seok-Jin; Jung Chang, Hye; Kang, Chong-Yun; Kwon, Beomjin; Bark, Chung-Wung; Hong, Seong-Hyeon; Kim, Jin-Sang; Baek, Seung-Hyub

    2015-01-01

    Manipulation of electrons in a solid through transmitting, storing, and switching is the fundamental basis for the microelectronic devices. Recently, the electroresistance effect in the ferroelectric capacitors has provided a novel way to modulate the electron transport by polarization reversal. Here, we demonstrate a giant electroresistive ferroelectric diode integrating a ferroelectric capacitor into two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) at oxide interface. As a model system, we fabricate an epitaxial Au/Pb(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O3/LaAlO3/SrTiO3 heterostructure, where 2DEG is formed at LaAlO3/SrTiO3 interface. This device functions as a two-terminal, non-volatile memory of 1 diode-1 resistor with a large I+/I− ratio (>108 at ±6 V) and Ion/Ioff ratio (>107). This is attributed to not only Schottky barrier modulation at metal/ferroelectric interface by polarization reversal but also the field-effect metal-insulator transition of 2DEG. Moreover, using this heterostructure, we can demonstrate a memristive behavior for an artificial synapse memory, where the resistance can be continuously tuned by partial polarization switching, and the electrons are only unidirectionally transmitted. Beyond non-volatile memory and logic devices, our results will provide new opportunities to emerging electronic devices such as multifunctional nanoelectronics and neuromorphic electronics. PMID:26014446

  14. Flexible ferroelectric organic crystals

    DOE PAGES

    Owczarek, Magdalena; Hujsak, Karl A.; Ferris, Daniel P.; ...

    2016-10-13

    Flexible organic materials possessing useful electrical properties, such as ferroelectricity, are of crucial importance in the engineering of electronic devices. But, until now, only ferroelectric polymers have intrinsically met this flexibility requirement, leaving small-molecule organic ferroelectrics with room for improvement. Since both flexibility and ferroelectricity are rare properties on their own, combining them in one crystalline organic material is challenging. We report that trisubstituted haloimidazoles not only display ferroelectricity and piezoelectricity-the properties that originate from their non-centrosymmetric crystal lattice-but also lend their crystalline mechanical properties to fine-tuning in a controllable manner by disrupting the weak halogen bonds between the molecules.more » This element of control makes it possible to deliver another unique and highly desirable property, namely crystal flexibility. Moreover, the electrical properties are maintained in the flexible crystals.« less

  15. Nanomechanics of Ferroelectric Thin Films and Heterostructures

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Li, Yulan; Hu, Shenyang Y.; Chen , L.Q.

    2016-08-31

    The focus of this chapter is to provide basic concepts of how external strains/stresses altering ferroelectric property of a material and how to evaluate quantitatively the effect of strains/stresses on phase stability, domain structure, and material ferroelectric properties using the phase-field method. The chapter starts from a brief introduction of ferroelectrics and the Landau-Devinshire description of ferroelectric transitions and ferroelectric phases in a homogeneous ferroelectric single crystal. Due to the fact that ferroelectric transitions involve crystal structure change and domain formation, strains and stresses can be produced inside of the material if a ferroelectric transition occurs and it is confined.more » These strains and stresses affect in turn the domain structure and material ferroelectric properties. Therefore, ferroelectrics and strains/stresses are coupled to each other. The ferroelectric-mechanical coupling can be used to engineer the material ferroelectric properties by designing the phase and structure. The followed section elucidates calculations of the strains/stresses and elastic energy in a thin film containing a single domain, twinned domains to complicated multidomains constrained by its underlying substrate. Furthermore, a phase field model for predicting ferroelectric stable phases and domain structure in a thin film is presented. Examples of using substrate constraint and temperature to obtain interested ferroelectric domain structures in BaTiO3 films are demonstrated b phase field simulations.« less

  16. Ferroelectricity and tunneling electroresistance effect in asymmetric ferroelectric tunnel junctions

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Tao, L. L.; Wang, J., E-mail: jianwang@hku.hk

    2016-06-14

    We report the investigation on the ferroelectricity and tunneling electroresistance (TER) effect in PbTiO{sub 3} (PTO)-based ferroelectric tunnel junctions (FTJs) using first-principles calculations. For symmetric FTJs, we have calculated the average polarizations of PTO film and effective screening lengths of different metal electrodes for a number of FTJs, which is useful for experimental research. For asymmetric FTJs, significant asymmetric ferroelectric displacements in PTO film are observed, which is attributed to the intrinsic field generated by the two dissimilar electrodes. Moreover, by performing quantum transport calculations on those asymmetric FTJs, a sizable TER effect is observed. It is found that themore » asymmetry of ferroelectric displacements in PTO barrier, which is determined by the difference of work functions of the electrodes, controls the observed TER effect. Our results will help unravel the TER mechanism of asymmetric FTJs in most experiments and will be useful for the designing of FTJ-based devices.« less

  17. Characterization of a Common-Source Amplifier Using Ferroelectric Transistors

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hunt, Mitchell; Sayyah, Rana; MacLeond, Todd C.; Ho, Pat D.

    2010-01-01

    This paper presents empirical data that was collected through experiments using a FeFET in the established common-source amplifier circuit. The unique behavior of the FeFET lends itself to interesting and useful operation in this widely used common-source amplifier. The paper examines the effect of using a ferroelectric transistor for the amplifier. It also examines the effects of varying load resistance, biasing, and input voltages on the output signal and gives several examples of the output of the amplifier for a given input. The difference between a commonsource amplifier using a ferroelectric transistor and that using a MOSFET is addressed.

  18. Dielectric and Ferroelectric Properties of SrTiO3-Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3-BaAl0.5Nb0.5O3 Lead-Free Ceramics for High-Energy-Storage Applications.

    PubMed

    Yan, Fei; Yang, Haibo; Lin, Ying; Wang, Tong

    2017-11-06

    Pulsed capacitors require high-recoverable energy-storage density (W rec ) and high energy-storage efficiency (η), which can be realized through the selection and adjustment of the composition. In this work, (1 - x)SrTiO 3 -x(0.95Bi 0.5 Na 0.5 TiO 3 -0.05BaAl 0.5 Nb 0.5 O 3 ) [(1 - x)ST-x(BNT-BAN)] ceramics were successfully prepared via the pressureless solid-state reaction method. The dielectric constant increases gradually with the introduction of BNT-BAN and obtains a maximum value of 3430 with the composition of 0.4ST-0.6(BNT-BAN) at 100 Hz, which is 10.39 times higher than that of the pure ST sample (∼330). Dispersive relaxor behaviors and ferroelectric performances can be enhanced with the introduction of BNT-BAN. The composition of 0.5ST-0.5(BNT-BAN) exhibits a high W rec of 1.89 J/cm 3 as well as a high η of 77%. Therefore, the (1 - x)ST-x(BNT-BAN) systems are candidate materials for pulsed capacitor applications.

  19. Surface-screening mechanisms in ferroelectric thin films and their effect on polarization dynamics and domain structures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kalinin, Sergei V.; Kim, Yunseok; Fong, Dillon D.; Morozovska, Anna N.

    2018-03-01

    For over 70 years, ferroelectric materials have been one of the central research topics for condensed matter physics and material science, an interest driven both by fundamental science and applications. However, ferroelectric surfaces, the key component of ferroelectric films and nanostructures, still present a significant theoretical and even conceptual challenge. Indeed, stability of ferroelectric phase per se necessitates screening of polarization charge. At surfaces, this can lead to coupling between ferroelectric and semiconducting properties of material, or with surface (electro) chemistry, going well beyond classical models applicable for ferroelectric interfaces. In this review, we summarize recent studies of surface-screening phenomena in ferroelectrics. We provide a brief overview of the historical understanding of the physics of ferroelectric surfaces, and existing theoretical models that both introduce screening mechanisms and explore the relationship between screening and relevant aspects of ferroelectric functionalities starting from phase stability itself. Given that the majority of ferroelectrics exist in multiple-domain states, we focus on local studies of screening phenomena using scanning probe microscopy techniques. We discuss recent studies of static and dynamic phenomena on ferroelectric surfaces, as well as phenomena observed under lateral transport, light, chemical, and pressure stimuli. We also note that the need for ionic screening renders polarization switching a coupled physical–electrochemical process and discuss the non-trivial phenomena such as chaotic behavior during domain switching that stem from this. ).

  20. Ferroionic states: coupling between surface electrochemical and bulk ferroelectric functionalities on the nanoscale.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kalinin, Sergei

    Ferroelectricity on the nanoscale has remained a subject of much fascination in condensed matter physics for the last several decades. It is well-recognized that stability of the ferroelectric state necessitates effective polarization screening, and hence screening mechanism and screening charge dynamics become strongly coupled to ferroelectric phase stability and domain behavior. Previously, the role of the screening charge in macroscopic ferroelectrics was observed in phenomena such as potential retention above Curie temperature, back switching of ferroelectric domains, and chaos and intermittency during domain switching. In the last several years, multiple reports claiming ferroelectricity in ultrathin ferroelectrics based on formation of remanent polarization states, local hysteresis loops, and pressure induced switching were made. However, similar phenomena were reported for traditionally non-ferroelectric materials, creating significant level of uncertainty in the field. We pose that in the nanoscale systems, the ferroelectric state is fundamentally inseparable from electrochemical state of the surface, leading to emergence of coupled electrochemical-ferroelectric states. I will present the results of experimental and theoretical work exploring the basic mechanisms of emergence of these coupled states including the basic theory and phase-field formulation for domain evolution. I further discuss the thermodynamics and thickness evolution of this state, and demonstrate the experimental pathway to establish its presence based on spectroscopic version of piezoresponse force microscopy. Finally, the role of chemical screening on domain dynamics is explored using phase-field modelling. This analysis reconciles multiple prior studies, and set forward the predictive pathways for new generations of ferroelectric devices and applications. This research was sponsored by the Division of Materials Sciences and Engineering, BES, DOE, and was conducted at the Center for

  1. PREFACE: 12th Russia/CIS/Baltic/Japan Symposium on Ferroelectricity and 9th International Conference on Functional Materials and Nanotechnologies (RCBJSF-2014-FM&NT)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sternberg, Andris; Grinberga, Liga; Sarakovskis, Anatolijs; Rutkis, Martins

    2015-03-01

    The joint International Symposium RCBJSF-2014-FM&NT successfully has united two international events - 12th Russia/CIS/Baltic/Japan Symposium on Ferroelectricity (RCBJSF-12) and 9th International Conference Functional Materials and Nanotechnologies (FM&NT-2014). The RCBJSF symposium is a continuation of series of meetings on ferroelectricity, the first of which took place in Novosibirsk (USSR) in 1976. FM&NT conferences started in 2006 and have been organized by Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Latvia in Riga. In 2012 the International program committee decided to transform this conference into a traveling Baltic State conference and the FM&NT-2013 was organized by the Institute of Physics, University of Tartu, Estonia. In 2014 the joint international symposium RCBJSF-2014-FM&NT was organized by the Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Latvia and was part of Riga - 2014, the European Capital of Culture event. The purpose of the joint Symposium was to bring together scientists, students and high-level experts in solid state physics, materials science, engineering and related disciplines. The number of the registered participants from 26 countries was over 350. During the Symposium 128 high quality scientific talks (5 plenary, 42 invited, 81 oral) and over 215 posters were presented. All presentations were divided into 4 parallel sessions according to 4 main topics of the Symposium: Ferroelectricity, including ferroelectrics and multiferroics, pyroelectrics, piezoelectrics and actuators, integrated ferroelectrics, relaxors, phase transitions and critical phenomena. Multifunctional Materials, including theory, multiscale and multiphenomenal material modeling and simulation, advanced inorganic, organic and hybrid materials. Nanotechnologies, including progressive methods, technologies and design for production, investigation of nano- particles, composites, structures, thin films and coatings. Energy, including perspective materials and

  2. Colossal magnetocapacitive effects in geometrically frustrated chalcogenide spinels

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lunkenheimer, Peter

    2006-03-01

    It is well known that the spinel structure is susceptible to the occurrence of geometrical frustration, which in the past was invoked to explain a number of unusual observations concerning the magnetic and orbital degrees of freedom in these materials. We demonstrate that several chalcogenide spinels also exhibit very unusual dielectric behavior, especially an extremely strong coupling of magnetic and dielectric properties and the simultaneous occurrence of magnetic and polar order. Especially, in CdCr2S4 a colossal magnetocapacitive effect is observed, which shows up as a sharp upturn of the dielectric constant ɛ' when the sample becomes ferromagnetic and as a variation of ɛ' up to a factor of 30 when the sample is subjected to external magnetic fields. As revealed by linear and non-linear dielectric measurements, this material shows the typical signatures of relaxor ferroelectrics, i.e. a strong increase of the static dielectric constant with decreasing temperature and considerable frequency dispersion of the complex permittivity. While in most relaxor ferroelectrics the freezing of polar moments is driven by frustrated interactions related to substitutional disorder, in the present pure system geometrical frustration seems a plausible mechanism to explain the relaxor behavior. However, one may also speculate on completely different mechanisms of ferroelectric polarization, e.g., the ordering of electronic degrees of freedom. The concomitant occurrence of polar and magnetic order makes CdCr2S4 another example of the rare species of multiferroic materials. In contrast to other members of this group of materials, it has sizable ordering temperatures and moments. A detailed investigation of the relaxational dynamics in this material provides clear evidence that the observed magnetocapacitive effect stems from an enormous acceleration of the relaxation dynamics induced by the development of magnetic order. In addition, recent results reveal even larger

  3. Ferroelectric Material Application: Modeling Ferroelectric Field Effect Transistor Characteristics from Micro to Nano

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    MacLeod, Todd, C.; Ho, Fat Duen

    2006-01-01

    All present ferroelectric transistors have been made on the micrometer scale. Existing models of these devices do not take into account effects of nanoscale ferroelectric transistors. Understanding the characteristics of these nanoscale devices is important in developing a strategy for building and using future devices. This paper takes an existing microscale ferroelectric field effect transistor (FFET) model and adds effects that become important at a nanoscale level, including electron velocity saturation and direct tunneling. The new model analyzed FFETs ranging in length from 40,000 nanometers to 4 nanometers and ferroelectric thickness form 200 nanometers to 1 nanometer. The results show that FFETs can operate on the nanoscale but have some undesirable characteristics at very small dimensions.

  4. Thermal hysteresis and electrocaloric effect in Ba1-xZrxTiO3

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Yingtang

    2018-04-01

    Samples of lead-free Ba(ZrxTi1-x)O3 bulk and thick film were fabricated using solid state reaction and tape - casting technique, respectively. A comprehensive investigation of dielectric, ferroelectric, and electrocaloric properties of these samples has been carried out. The results show that there is a dielectric relaxation behavior in the thick film Meantime, the "re-entrant relaxor behavior" and thermal hysteresis are observed in the bulk. Moreover, the electrocaloric effects are observed in the thick film and the bulk. The peak values of ΔTEC of the bulk and the thick film are 2.78 K and 0.37 K, respectively. This work is beneficial for realizing high efficiency and environmentally friendly cooling technology.

  5. Correlation among oxygen vacancies in bismuth titanate ferroelectric ceramics

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Li Wei; Chen Kai; Yao Yangyang

    2004-11-15

    Pure Bi{sub 4}Ti{sub 3}O{sub 12} ceramics were prepared using the conventional solid-state reaction method and their dielectric properties were investigated. A dielectric loss peak with the relaxation-type characteristic was observed at about 370 K at 100 Hz frequency. This peak was confirmed to be associated with the migration of oxygen vacancies inside ceramics. The Cole-Cole fitting to this peak reveals a strong correlation among oxygen vacancies and this strong correlation is considered to commonly exist among oxygen vacancies in ferroelectrics. Therefore, the migration of oxygen vacancies in ferroelectric materials would demonstrate a collective behavior instead of an individual one duemore » to this strong correlation. Furthermore, this correlation is in proportion to the concentration and in inverse proportion to the activation energy of oxygen vacancies. These results could be helpful to the understanding of the fatigue mechanisms in ferroelectric materials.« less

  6. Physical aspects of ferroelectric semiconductors for photovoltaic solar energy conversion

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lopez-Varo, Pilar; Bertoluzzi, Luca; Bisquert, Juan; Alexe, Marin; Coll, Mariona; Huang, Jinsong; Jimenez-Tejada, Juan Antonio; Kirchartz, Thomas; Nechache, Riad; Rosei, Federico; Yuan, Yongbo

    2016-10-01

    Solar energy conversion using semiconductors to fabricate photovoltaic devices relies on efficient light absorption, charge separation of electron-hole pair carriers or excitons, and fast transport and charge extraction to counter recombination processes. Ferroelectric materials are able to host a permanent electrical polarization which provides control over electrical field distribution in bulk and interfacial regions. In this review, we provide a critical overview of the physical principles and mechanisms of solar energy conversion using ferroelectric semiconductors and contact layers, as well as the main achievements reported so far. In a ferroelectric semiconductor film with ideal contacts, the polarization charge would be totally screened by the metal layers and no charge collection field would exist. However, real materials show a depolarization field, smooth termination of polarization, and interfacial energy barriers that do provide the control of interface and bulk electric field by switchable spontaneous polarization. We explore different phenomena as the polarization-modulated Schottky-like barriers at metal/ferroelectric interfaces, depolarization fields, vacancy migration, and the switchable rectifying behavior of ferroelectric thin films. Using a basic physical model of a solar cell, our analysis provides a general picture of the influence of ferroelectric effects on the actual power conversion efficiency of the solar cell device, and we are able to assess whether these effects or their combinations are beneficial or counterproductive. We describe in detail the bulk photovoltaic effect and the contact layers that modify the built-in field and the charge injection and separation in bulk heterojunction organic cells as well as in photocatalytic and water splitting devices. We also review the dominant families of ferroelectric materials that have been most extensively investigated and have provided the best photovoltaic performance.

  7. Ferroelectric size effects in multiferroic BiFeO3 thin films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chu, Y. H.; Zhao, T.; Cruz, M. P.; Zhan, Q.; Yang, P. L.; Martin, L. W.; Huijben, M.; Yang, C. H.; Zavaliche, F.; Zheng, H.; Ramesh, R.

    2007-06-01

    Ferroelectric size effects in multiferroic BiFeO3 have been studied using a host of complementary measurements. The structure of such epitaxial films has been investigated using atomic force microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and x-ray diffraction. The crystal structure of the films has been identified as a monoclinic phase, which suggests that the polarization direction is close to ⟨111⟩. Such behavior has also been confirmed by piezoforce microscopy measurements. That also reveals that the ferroelectricity is down to at least 2nm.

  8. Enhanced electrocaloric effect in displacive-type organic ferroelectrics

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ding, L. J., E-mail: dinglinjie82@126.com; Zhong, Y.; Fan, S. W.

    2015-08-07

    We explore the intrinsic feature of electrocaloric effect (ECE) accompanied by ferroelectric (FE)-paraelectric (PE) transition for displacive-type organic ferroelectrics using Green's function theory. It is demonstrated that decreasing elastic constant K or increasing spin-lattice coupling λ can enhance the ECE, as well as polarization P and transition temperature T{sub C}. Indeed, one expects that the optimal operating temperature for solid-state refrigeration is around room temperature, at which the ECE achieves its maximum. As T{sub C} is tuned to ∼310 K, it presents larger ECE response and remanent polarization with lower coercive field for smaller K value, suggesting that well flexible displacive-typemore » organic ferroelectrics are excellent candidates both for electric cooling and data storage in the design of nonvolatile FE random-access memories. Furthermore, in an electric field, it provides a bridge between a Widom line that denotes FE-PE crossover above T{sub C} and a metaelectric transition line below T{sub C} that demonstrates an FE switching behavior with an antiparallel field.« less

  9. Surface-screening mechanisms in ferroelectric thin films and their effect on polarization dynamics and domain structures

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kalinin, Sergei V.; Kim, Yunseok; Fong, Dillon D.

    For over 70 years, ferroelectric materials have been one of the central research topics for condensed matter physics and material science, an interest driven both by fundamental science and applications. However, ferroelectric surfaces, the key component of ferroelectric films and nanostructures, still present a significant theoretical and even conceptual challenge. Indeed, stability of ferroelectric phase per se necessitates screening of polarization charge. At surfaces, this can lead to coupling between ferroelectric and semiconducting properties of material, or with surface (electro) chemistry, going well beyond classical models applicable for ferroelectric interfaces. In this review, we summarize recent studies of surface-screening phenomenamore » in ferroelectrics. We provide a brief overview of the historical understanding of the physics of ferroelectric surfaces, and existing theoretical models that both introduce screening mechanisms and explore the relationship between screening and relevant aspects of ferroelectric functionalities starting from phase stability itself. Given that the majority of ferroelectrics exist in multiple-domain states, we focus on local studies of screening phenomena using scanning probe microscopy techniques. We discuss recent studies of static and dynamic phenomena on ferroelectric surfaces, as well as phenomena observed under lateral transport, light, chemical, and pressure stimuli. We also note that the need for ionic screening renders polarization switching a coupled physical-electrochemical process and discuss the non-trivial phenomena such as chaotic behavior during domain switching that stem from this.« less

  10. CuInP₂S₆ Room Temperature Layered Ferroelectric.

    PubMed

    Belianinov, A; He, Q; Dziaugys, A; Maksymovych, P; Eliseev, E; Borisevich, A; Morozovska, A; Banys, J; Vysochanskii, Y; Kalinin, S V

    2015-06-10

    We explore ferroelectric properties of cleaved 2-D flakes of copper indium thiophosphate, CuInP2S6 (CITP), and probe size effects along with limits of ferroelectric phase stability, by ambient and ultra high vacuum scanning probe microscopy. CITP belongs to the only material family known to display ferroelectric polarization in a van der Waals, layered crystal at room temperature and above. Our measurements directly reveal stable, ferroelectric polarization as evidenced by domain structures, switchable polarization, and hysteresis loops. We found that at room temperature the domain structure of flakes thicker than 100 nm is similar to the cleaved bulk surfaces, whereas below 50 nm polarization disappears. We ascribe this behavior to a well-known instability of polarization due to depolarization field. Furthermore, polarization switching at high bias is also associated with ionic mobility, as evidenced both by macroscopic measurements and by formation of surface damage under the tip at a bias of 4 V-likely due to copper reduction. Mobile Cu ions may therefore also contribute to internal screening mechanisms. The existence of stable polarization in a van-der-Waals crystal naturally points toward new strategies for ultimate scaling of polar materials, quasi-2D, and single-layer materials with advanced and nonlinear dielectric properties that are presently not found in any members of the growing "graphene family".

  11. Dynamic Observation of Brain-Like Learning in a Ferroelectric Synapse Device

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nishitani, Yu; Kaneko, Yukihiro; Ueda, Michihito; Fujii, Eiji; Tsujimura, Ayumu

    2013-04-01

    A brain-like learning function was implemented in an electronic synapse device using a ferroelectric-gate field effect transistor (FeFET). The FeFET was a bottom-gate type FET with a ZnO channel and a ferroelectric Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 (PZT) gate insulator. The synaptic weight, which is represented by the channel conductance of the FeFET, is updated by applying a gate voltage through a change in the ferroelectric polarization in the PZT. A learning function based on the symmetric spike-timing dependent synaptic plasticity was implemented in the synapse device using the multilevel weight update by applying a pulse gate voltage. The dynamic weighting and learning behavior in the synapse device was observed as a change in the membrane potential in a spiking neuron circuit.

  12. Phase diagrams of ferroelectric nanocrystals strained by an elastic matrix

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nikitchenko, A. I.; Azovtsev, A. V.; Pertsev, N. A.

    2018-01-01

    Ferroelectric crystallites embedded into a dielectric matrix experience temperature-dependent elastic strains caused by differences in the thermal expansion of the crystallites and the matrix. Owing to the electrostriction, these lattice strains may affect polarization states of ferroelectric inclusions significantly, making them different from those of a stress-free bulk crystal. Here, using a nonlinear thermodynamic theory, we study the mechanical effect of elastic matrix on the phase states of embedded single-domain ferroelectric nanocrystals. Their equilibrium polarization states are determined by minimizing a special thermodynamic potential that describes the energetics of an ellipsoidal ferroelectric inclusion surrounded by a linear elastic medium. To demonstrate the stability ranges of such states for a given material combination, we construct a phase diagram, where the inclusion’s shape anisotropy and temperature are used as two parameters. The ‘shape-temperature’ phase diagrams are calculated numerically for PbTiO3 and BaTiO3 nanocrystals embedded into representative dielectric matrices generating tensile (silica glass) or compressive (potassium silicate glass) thermal stresses inside ferroelectric inclusions. The developed phase maps demonstrate that the joint effect of thermal stresses and matrix-induced elastic clamping of ferroelectric inclusions gives rise to several important features in the polarization behavior of PbTiO3 and BaTiO3 nanocrystals. In particular, the Curie temperature displays a nonmonotonic variation with the ellipsoid’s aspect ratio, being minimal for spherical inclusions. Furthermore, the diagrams show that the polarization orientation with respect to the ellipsoid’s symmetry axis is controlled by the shape anisotropy and the sign of thermal stresses. Under certain conditions, the mechanical inclusion-matrix interaction qualitatively alters the evolution of ferroelectric states on cooling, inducing a structural transition

  13. Recent Progress in Understanding the Shock Response of Ferroelectric Ceramics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Setchell, R. E.

    2002-07-01

    Ferroelectric ceramics exhibit a permanent remanent polarization, and shock depoling of these materials to achieve pulsed sources of electrical power was proposed in the late 1950s. During the following twenty years, extensive studies were conducted to examine the shock response of ferroelectric ceramics primarily based on lead zirconate titanate (PZT). Under limited conditions, relatively simple analytical models were found to adequately describe the observed electrical behavior. A more complex behavior was indicated over broader conditions, however, resulting in the incorporation of shock-induced conductivity and dielectric relaxation into analytical models. Unfortunately, few experimental studies were undertaken over the next twenty years, and the development of more comprehensive models was inhibited. In recent years, a strong interest in advancing numerical simulation capabilities has motivated new experimental studies and corresponding model development. More than seventy gas gun experiments have examined several ferroelectric ceramics, with most experiments on lead zirconate titanate having a Zr:Ti ratio of 95:5 and modified with 2% niobium (PZT 95/5). This material is nominally ferroelectric but is near an antiferroelectric phase boundary, and depoling results from a shock-driven phase transition. Experiments have examined unpoled, normally poled, and axially poled PZT 95/5 over broad ranges of shock pressure and peak electric field. The extensive base of new data provides quantitative insights into both the stress and field dependencies of depoling kinetics, and the significance of pore collapse at higher stresses. The results are being actively utilized to develop and refine material response models used in numerical simulations of pulsed power devices.

  14. Recent Progress in Understanding the Shock Response of Ferroelectric Ceramics*

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Setchell, Robert E.

    2001-06-01

    Ferroelectric ceramics exhibit a permanent remanent polarization, and the use of shock depoling of these materials to achieve pulsed sources of electrical power was proposed in the late 1950s. During the following twenty years, extensive studies were conducted to examine the shock response of ferroelectric ceramics primarily based on lead zirconate titanate (PZT). Under limited conditions, relatively simple analytical models were found to adequately describe the observed electrical behavior. In general, however, the studies indicated a complex behavior involving finite-rate depoling kinetics with stress and field dependencies. Dielectric relaxation and shock-induced conductivity were also suggested. Unfortunately, few experimental studies were undertaken over the next twenty years, and the development of more comprehensive models was inhibited. In recent years, a strong interest in advancing numerical simulation capabilities has motivated new experimental studies and corresponding model development. More than seventy gas gun experiments have examined several ferroelectric ceramics, with most experiments on lead zirconate titanate having a Zr:Ti ratio of 95:5 and modified with 2ferroelectric but is near an antiferroelectric phase boundary, and depoling results from a shock-driven phase transition. Experiments have examined unpoled, normally poled, and axially poled PZT 95/5 over broad ranges of shock pressure and peak electric field. The extensive base of new data provides quantitative insights into the stress and field dependencies of depoling kinetics and dielectric properties, and is being actively utilized to develop and refine material response models used in numerical simulations of pulsed power devices.

  15. Local control of the resistivity of graphene through mechanically induced switching of a ferroelectric superlattice

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Humed Yusuf, Mohammed; Gura, Anna; Du, Xu; Dawber, Matthew

    2017-06-01

    We exploit nanoscale mechanically induced switching of an artificially layered ferroelectric material, used as an active substrate, to achieve the local manipulation of the electrical transport properties of graphene. In Graphene Ferroelectric Field Effect Transistors (GFeFETs), the graphene channel’s charge state is controlled by an underlying ferroelectric layer. The tip of an atomic force microscope (AFM) can be used to mechanically ‘write’ nanoscale regions of the graphene channel and ‘read’ off the modulation in the transport behavior. The written features associated with the switching of ferroelectric domains remain polarized until an electrical reset operation is carried out. Our result provides a method for flexible and reversible nano-scale manipulation of the transport properties of a broad class of 2D materials.

  16. Universal Ferroelectric Switching Dynamics of Vinylidene Fluoride-trifluoroethylene Copolymer Films

    PubMed Central

    Hu, Wei Jin; Juo, Deng-Ming; You, Lu; Wang, Junling; Chen, Yi-Chun; Chu, Ying-Hao; Wu, Tom

    2014-01-01

    In this work, switching dynamics of poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene) [P(VDF-TrFE)] copolymer films are investigated over unprecedentedly wide ranges of temperature and electric field. Remarkably, domain switching of copolymer films obeys well the classical domain nucleation and growth model although the origin of ferroelectricity in organic ferroelectric materials inherently differs from the inorganic counterparts. A lower coercivity limit of 50 MV/m and 180° domain wall energy of 60 mJ/m2 are determined for P(VDF-TrFE) films. Furthermore, we discover in copolymer films an anomalous temperature-dependent crossover behavior between two power-law scaling regimes of frequency-dependent coercivity, which is attributed to the transition between flow and creep motions of domain walls. Our observations shed new light on the switching dynamics of semi-crystalline ferroelectric polymers, and such understandings are critical for realizing their reliable applications. PMID:24759786

  17. Electrostatic engineering of strained ferroelectric perovskites from first principles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cazorla, Claudio; Stengel, Massimiliano

    2015-12-01

    Design of novel artificial materials based on ferroelectric perovskites relies on the basic principles of electrostatic coupling and in-plane lattice matching. These rules state that the out-of-plane component of the electric displacement field and the in-plane components of the strain are preserved across a layered superlattice, provided that certain growth conditions are respected. Intense research is currently directed at optimizing materials functionalities based on these guidelines, often with remarkable success. Such principles, however, are of limited practical use unless one disposes of reliable data on how a given material behaves under arbitrary electrical and mechanical boundary conditions. Here we demonstrate, by focusing on the prototypical ferroelectrics PbTiO3 and BiFeO3 as test cases, how such information can be calculated from first principles in a systematic and efficient way. In particular, we construct a series of two-dimensional maps that describe the behavior of either compound (e.g., concerning the ferroelectric polarization and antiferrodistortive instabilities) at any conceivable choice of the in-plane lattice parameter, a , and out-of-plane electric displacement, D . In addition to being of immediate practical applicability to superlattice design, our results bring new insight into the complex interplay of competing degrees of freedom in perovskite materials and reveal some notable instances where the behavior of these materials depart from what naively is expected.

  18. Ferroelectric translational antiphase boundaries in nonpolar materials

    PubMed Central

    Wei, Xian-Kui; Tagantsev, Alexander K.; Kvasov, Alexander; Roleder, Krystian; Jia, Chun-Lin; Setter, Nava

    2014-01-01

    Ferroelectric materials are heavily used in electro-mechanics and electronics. Inside the ferroelectric, domain walls separate regions in which the spontaneous polarization is differently oriented. Properties of ferroelectric domain walls can differ from those of the domains themselves, leading to new exploitable phenomena. Even more exciting is that a non-ferroelectric material may have domain boundaries that are ferroelectric. Many materials possess translational antiphase boundaries. Such boundaries could be interesting entities to carry information if they were ferroelectric. Here we show first that antiphase boundaries in antiferroelectrics may possess ferroelectricity. We then identify these boundaries in the classical antiferroelectric lead zirconate and evidence their polarity by electron microscopy using negative spherical-aberration imaging technique. Ab initio modelling confirms the polar bi-stable nature of the walls. Ferroelectric antiphase boundaries could make high-density non-volatile memory; in comparison with the magnetic domain wall memory, they do not require current for operation and are an order of magnitude thinner. PMID:24398704

  19. Ferroelectric ultrathin perovskite films

    DOEpatents

    Rappe, Andrew M; Kolpak, Alexie Michelle

    2013-12-10

    Disclosed herein are perovskite ferroelectric thin-film. Also disclosed are methods of controlling the properties of ferroelectric thin films. These films can be used in a variety materials and devices, such as catalysts and storage media, respectively.

  20. Ferroelectric polarization-controlled two-dimensional electron gas in ferroelectric/AlGaN/GaN heterostructure

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kong, Y. C.; Xue, F. S.; Zhou, J. J.; Li, L.; Chen, C.; Li, Y. R.

    2009-06-01

    The control effect of the ferroelectric polarization on the two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) in a ferroelectric/AlGaN/GaN metal-ferroelectric-semiconductor (MFS) structure is theoretically analyzed by a self-consistent approach. With incorporating the hysteresis nature of the ferroelectric into calculation, the nature of the control effect is disclosed, where the 2DEG density is depleted/restored after poling/depoling operation on the MFS structure. The orientation of the ferroelectric polarization is clarified to be parallel to that of the AlGaN barrier, which, based on an electrostatics analysis, is attributed to the pinning effect of the underlying polarization. Reducing the thickness of the AlGaN barrier from 25 nm to 20 nm leads to an improved control modulation of the 2DEG density from 36.7% to 54.1%.

  1. Charge ordering and multiferroicity in Fe{sub 3}BO{sub 5} and Fe{sub 2}MnBO{sub 5} oxyborates

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Maignan, A., E-mail: antoine.maignan@ensicaen.fr; Lainé, F.; Guesdon, A.

    2017-02-15

    The comparison of Fe{sub 3}BO{sub 5} and Fe{sub 2}MnBO{sub 5} reveals that the 2Fe{sup 2+}: Fe{sup 3+} charge ordering of the former is suppressed in the latter. Spin dynamics probed by ac susceptibility are strongly affected by the substitution, inducing superparamagnetism at low temperature in Fe{sub 2}MnBO{sub 5}. Interestingly, for both oxyborates, glassiness is observed in the dielectric properties at low temperature, but only Fe{sub 3}BO{sub 5} shows a magnetodielectric effect close to its lower magnetic transition. A change in the electrical polarization, measured by pyroelectric current integration, is observed in Fe{sub 3}BO{sub 5} and is even more pronounced inmore » Fe{sub 2}MnBO{sub 5}. Such results suggest that these oxyborates behave like antiferromagnetic relaxor ferroelectrics. These features are proposed to be related to the distribution of the species (Fe{sup 3+}, Fe{sup 2+} and Mn{sup 2+}) over the four transition metal sites forming the ludwigite structure. - Graphical abstract: 90 K [010] electron diffraction patterns of Fe{sub 3}BO{sub 5}. The yellow arrows in the pattern indicate the extra-spots corresponding to the superstructure induced by the charge ordering. - Highlights: • The TEM (ED) study of the Fe{sub 3}BO{sub 5} oxyborate at 90 K reveals a superstructure related to a Fe{sup 2+}/Fe{sup 3+} ordering. • The Fe{sub 2}MnBO{sub 5}, Mn-substituted counterpart, does not show such ordering. • Our magnetic and electric measurements demonstrate that these magnetic ferrites exhibit glassiness in their charges (relaxor-type) with additional superparamagnetism at low T for Fe{sub 2}MnBO{sub 5} and magnetodielectric coupling near T{sub N2}=72 K in Fe{sub 3}BO{sub 5}. • The pyroelectric measurements confirm the existence of a ferroelectric behavior in these antiferromagnets. Accordingly, our results open the route to the study of other large class of the M{sub 2}{sup 2+}M’{sup 3+}BO{sub 5} ludwigites and to their complex magnetism and

  2. Unusual Ferroelectricity in Two-Dimensional Perovskite Oxide Thin Films.

    PubMed

    Lu, Jinlian; Luo, Wei; Feng, Junsheng; Xiang, Hongjun

    2018-01-10

    Two-dimensional (2D) ferroelectricity have attracted much attention due to their applications in novel miniaturized devices such as nonvolatile memories, field effect transistors, and sensors. Since most of the commercial ferroelectric (FE) devices are based on ABO 3 perovskite oxides, it is important to investigate the properties of 2D ferroelectricity in perovskite oxide thin films. Here, based on density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we find that there exist three kinds of in-plane FE states that originate from different microscopic mechanisms: (i) a proper FE state with the polarization along [110] due to the second-order Jahn-Teller effect related to the B ion with empty d-orbitals; (ii) a robust FE state with the polarization along [100] induced by the surface effect; (iii) a hybrid improper FE state with the polarization along [110] that is induced by the trilinear coupling between two rotational modes and the A-site displacement. Interestingly, the ferroelectricity in the latter two cases becomes stronger along with decreasing the thin film thickness, in contrast to the usual behavior. Moreover, the latter two FE states are compatible with magnetism since their stability does not depend on the occupation of the d-orbitals of the B-ion. These two novel 2D FE mechanisms provide new avenues to design 2D multiferroics, as we demonstrated in SrVO and CaFeO thin film cases. Our work not only reveals new physical mechanisms of 2D ferroelectricity in perovskite oxide thin films but also provides a new route to design the high-performance 2D FE and multiferroics.

  3. Piezoelectricity and ferroelectricity of cellular polypropylene electrets films characterized by piezoresponse force microscopy

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Miao, Hongchen; Sun, Yao; Zhou, Xilong

    Cellular electrets polymer is a new ferroelectret material exhibiting large piezoelectricity and has attracted considerable attentions in researches and industries. Property characterization is very important for this material and current investigations are mostly on macroscopic properties. In this work, we conduct nanoscale piezoelectric and ferroelectric characterizations of cellular polypropylene (PP) films using piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM). First, both the single-frequency PFM and dual-frequency resonance-tracking PFM testings were conducted on the cellular PP film. The localized piezoelectric constant d{sub 33} is estimated to be 7–11pC/N by correcting the resonance magnification with quality factor and it is about one order lower thanmore » the macroscopic value. Next, using the switching spectroscopy PFM (SS-PFM), we studied polarization switching behavior of the cellular PP films. Results show that it exhibits the typical ferroelectric-like phase hysteresis loops and butterfly-shaped amplitude loops, which is similar to that of a poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) ferroelectric polymer film. However, both the phase and amplitude loops of the PP film are intensively asymmetric, which is thought to be caused by the nonzero remnant polarization after poling. Then, the D-E hysteresis loops of both the cellular PP film and PVDF film were measured by using the same wave form as that used in the SS-PFM, and the results show significant differences. Finally, we suggest that the ferroelectric-like behavior of cellular electrets films should be distinguished from that of typical ferroelectrics, both macroscopically and microscopically.« less

  4. Conduction at a ferroelectric interface

    DOE PAGES

    Marshall, Matthew S. J.; Malashevich, Andrei; Disa, Ankit S.; ...

    2014-11-05

    Typical logic elements utilizing the field effect rely on the change in carrier concentration due to the field in the channel region of the device. Ferroelectric-field-effect devices provide a nonvolatile version of this effect due to the stable polarization order parameter in the ferroelectric. In this study, we describe an oxide/oxide ferroelectric heterostructure device based on (001)-oriented PbZr₀̣.₂Ti₀.₈O₃-LaNiO₃ where the dominant change in conductivity is a result of a significant mobility change in the interfacial channel region. The effect is confined to a few atomic layers at the interface and is reversible by switching the ferroelectric polarization. More interestingly, inmore » one polarization state, the field effect induces a 1.7 eV shift of the interfacial bands to create a new conducting channel in the interfacial PbO layer of the ferroelectric.« less

  5. Fringing field effects in negative capacitance field-effect transistors with a ferroelectric gate insulator

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hattori, Junichi; Fukuda, Koichi; Ikegami, Tsutomu; Ota, Hiroyuki; Migita, Shinji; Asai, Hidehiro; Toriumi, Akira

    2018-04-01

    We study the effects of fringing electric fields on the behavior of negative-capacitance (NC) field-effect transistors (FETs) with a silicon-on-insulator body and a gate stack consisting of an oxide film, an internal metal film, a ferroelectric film, and a gate electrode using our own device simulator that can properly handle the complicated relationship between the polarization and the electric field in ferroelectric materials. The behaviors of such NC FETs and the corresponding metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) FETs are simulated and compared with each other to evaluate the effects of the NC of the ferroelectric film. Then, the fringing field effects are evaluated by comparing the NC effects in NC FETs with and without gate spacers. The fringing field between the gate stack, especially the internal metal film, and the source/drain region induces more charges at the interface of the film with the ferroelectric film. Accordingly, the function of the NC to modulate the gate voltage and the resulting function to improve the subthreshold swing are enhanced. We also investigate the relationships of these fringing field effects to the drain voltage and four design parameters of NC FETs, i.e., gate length, gate spacer permittivity, internal metal film thickness, and oxide film thickness.

  6. Spin correlated dielectric memory and rejuvenation in multiferroic CuCrS{sub 2}

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Karmakar, A.; Dey, K.; Majumdar, S.

    We report a rare consequence of memory effect in dielectric response (ϵ) and magnetic field induced rejuvenation in a relaxor-type multiferroic chalcogenide, CuCrS{sub 2}. Despite reasonably high conductivity, we are able to detect significant spontaneous polarization using an improvised technique verifying ferroelectric (FE) order. Concomitant appearance of both FE and antiferromagnetic orders authenticates multiferroicity. A smeared out FE transition and strong frequency dependence of the broadened peak in ϵ obeying Dynamical scaling law signify relaxor properties. We discuss the role of geometrical frustration in the antiferromagnetically coupled layered triangular lattice and metal ligand hybridization for these unusual properties.

  7. Ferroelectric behavior and reproducible Bi-stable resistance switching property in K-doped ZnO thin films as candidate for application in non-volatile memories

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, J. W.; Subramaniam, N. G.; Kang, T. W.; Shon, Yoon; Kim, E. K.

    2015-05-01

    Potassium-doped ZnO thin films electrodeposited on indium tin oxide (ITO) coated glass substrates exhibited ferroelectric behavior with a remnant polarization of 0.2 μC/cm2. Especially, wave forms showing the applied input voltage Vi and output voltage Vo were obtained for Al/ZnO:K/ITO structure. It exhibits a superposition of Vi (input) and Vo (output) signal from Al/ZnO:K/ITO structure with a clear phase shift between the two wave forms which again confirms that the observed ferroelectric hysteresis curve is not related to leaky dielectric materials. The current-voltage characteristics of Al/ZnO:K/ITO structures measured for several cycles revealed bi-stable switching characteristics. The reproducible bi-stable switching characteristics for the mentioned structures had good retention in one particular resistance state. Around one order of switching was realized between low and high resistance states. The switching property thought to be polarization induced originating out from the ferroelectric properties of the potassium doped ZnO thin film. The switching between ZnO:K/ITO interface is assumed to be critical for stability in switching for several cycles. Possible application of this structure in non-volatile memories is explored.

  8. Enhanced performance of ferroelectric materials under hydrostatic pressure

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chauhan, Aditya; Patel, Satyanarayan; Wang, Shuai; Novak, Nikola; Xu, Bai-Xiang; Lv, Peng; Vaish, Rahul; Lynch, Christopher S.

    2017-12-01

    Mechanical confinement or restricted degrees of freedom have been explored for its potential to enhance the performance of ferroelectric devices. It presents an easy and reversible method to tune the response for specific applications. However, such studies have been mainly limited to uni- or bi-axial stress. This study investigates the effect of hydrostatic pressure on the ferroelectric behavior of bulk polycrystalline Pb0.99Nb0.02(Zr0.95Ti0.05)0.98O3. Polarization versus electric field hysteresis plots were generated as a function of hydrostatic pressure for a range of operating temperatures (298-398 K). The application of hydrostatic pressure was observed to induce anti-ferroelectric like double hysteresis loops. This in turn enhances the piezoelectric, energy storage, energy harvesting, and electrocaloric effects. The hydrostatic piezoelectric coefficient (dh) was increased from 50 pCN-1 (0 MPa) to ˜900 pC N-1 (265 MPa) and ˜3200 pCN-1 (330 MPa) at 298 K. Energy storage density was observed to improve by more than 4 times under pressure, in the whole temperature range. The relative change in entropy was also observed to shift from ˜0 to 4.8 J kg-1 K-1 under an applied pressure of 325 MPa. This behavior can be attributed to the evolution of pinched hysteresis loops that have been explained using a phenomenological model. All values represent an improvement of several hundred percent compared to unbiased performance, indicating the potential benefits of the proposed methodology.

  9. A lead-halide perovskite molecular ferroelectric semiconductor

    PubMed Central

    Liao, Wei-Qiang; Zhang, Yi; Hu, Chun-Li; Mao, Jiang-Gao; Ye, Heng-Yun; Li, Peng-Fei; Huang, Songping D.; Xiong, Ren-Gen

    2015-01-01

    Inorganic semiconductor ferroelectrics such as BiFeO3 have shown great potential in photovoltaic and other applications. Currently, semiconducting properties and the corresponding application in optoelectronic devices of hybrid organo-plumbate or stannate are a hot topic of academic research; more and more of such hybrids have been synthesized. Structurally, these hybrids are suitable for exploration of ferroelectricity. Therefore, the design of molecular ferroelectric semiconductors based on these hybrids provides a possibility to obtain new or high-performance semiconductor ferroelectrics. Here we investigated Pb-layered perovskites, and found the layer perovskite (benzylammonium)2PbCl4 is ferroelectric with semiconducting behaviours. It has a larger ferroelectric spontaneous polarization Ps=13 μC cm−2 and a higher Curie temperature Tc=438 K with a band gap of 3.65 eV. This finding throws light on the new properties of the hybrid organo-plumbate or stannate compounds and provides a new way to develop new semiconductor ferroelectrics. PMID:26021758

  10. Ferroelectric and electrical characterization of multiferroic BiFeO3 at the single nanoparticle level

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vasudevan, R. K.; Bogle, K. A.; Kumar, A.; Jesse, S.; Magaraggia, R.; Stamps, R.; Ogale, S. B.; Potdar, H. S.; Nagarajan, V.

    2011-12-01

    Ferroelectric BiFeO3 (BFO) nanoparticles deposited on epitaxial substrates of SrRuO3 (SRO) and La1-xSrxMnO3 (LSMO) were studied using band excitation piezoresponse spectroscopy (BEPS), piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM), and ferromagnetic resonance (FMR). BEPS confirms that the nanoparticles are ferroelectric in nature. Switching behavior of nanoparticle clusters were studied and showed evidence for inhomogeneous switching. The dimensionality of domains within nanoparticles was found to be fractal in nature, with a dimensionality constant of ˜1.4, on par with ferroelectric BFO thin-films under 100 nm in thickness. Ferromagnetic resonance studies indicate BFO nanoparticles only weakly affect the magnetic response of LSMO.

  11. Three perimeter effects in ferroelectric nanostructures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ruediger, Andreas; Peter, Frank; Waser, Rainer

    2006-03-01

    As the lateral size of ferroelectric nanoislands is now well below 50 nm, the question of size effects becomes increasingly relevant. Three independent techniques provided data of pronounced ferroelectric features along the perimeter: impedance spectroscopy [1], piezoelectric force microscopy [2] and pyroelectric current sensing [3]. However, as we can show, all three observations are related to the measurement technique that interferes with the lateral confinement and still there is no direct evidence of a lateral size effect in ferroelectric nanostructures. We discuss some scenarios of further downscaling and possible consequences. [1]M.Dawber, D.J. Jung, J.F. Scott, “Perimeter effect in very small ferroelectrics“,Appl. Phys. Lett. 82, 436 (2003) [2 ]F. Peter, A. Ruediger, R. Dittmann, R. Waser, K. Szot, B. Reichenberg, K. Prume, “Analysis of shape effects on the piezoresponse in ferroelectric nanograins with and without adsorbates”, Applied Physics Letters, 87, 082901 (2005) [3] B.W. Peterson, S. Ducharme, V.M. Fridkin, “Mapping surface Polarization in thin films of the ferroelectric polymer P(VDF-TrFE)”,Ferroelectrics, 304, 51 (2004)

  12. The anhysteretic polarisation of ferroelectrics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kaeswurm, B.; Segouin, V.; Daniel, L.; Webber, K. G.

    2018-02-01

    Measurement and calculation of anhysteretic curves is a well-established method in the field of magnetic materials and is applied to ferroelectric materials here. The anhysteretic curve is linked to a stable equilibrium state in the domain structure, and ignores dissipative effects related to mechanisms such as domain wall pinning. In this study, an experimental method for characterising the anhysteretic behaviour of ferroelectrics is presented, which is subsequently used to determine the anhysteretic polarisation response of polycrystalline barium titanate and a doped lead zirconate titanate composition at room temperature. Various external parameters, such as electric field, stress, and temperature, can significantly affect ferroelectric behaviour. Ferroelectric hysteresis curves can assess the importance of such effects but cannot distinguish their contribution on the different intrinsic and extrinsic mechanisms involved in ferroelectric behaviour. In this work, the influence of compressive stress on the anhysteretic polarisation is measured and discussed. The comparison of the polarization loop to the anhysteretic curve under compressive stress elucidates the effects on the stable equilibrium domain configuration and dynamic effects associated to dissipation.

  13. Ferroelectric-ferromagnetic multilayers: A magnetoelectric heterostructure with high output charge signal

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Prokhorenko, S.; Kohlstedt, H.; Pertsev, N. A., E-mail: pertsev.domain@mail.ioffe.ru

    2014-09-21

    Multiferroic composites and heterostructures comprising ferroelectric and ferromagnetic materials exhibit room-temperature magnetoelectric (ME) effects greatly exceeding those of single-phase magnetoelectrics known to date. Since these effects are mediated by the interfacial coupling between ferroic constituents, the ME responses may be enhanced by increasing the density of interfaces and improving their quality. A promising material system providing these features is a ferroelectric-ferromagnetic multilayer with epitaxial interfaces. In this paper, we describe theoretically the strain-mediated direct ME effect exhibited by free-standing multilayers composed of single-crystalline ferroelectric nanolayers interleaved by conducting ferromagnetic slabs. Using a nonlinear thermodynamic approach allowing for specific mechanical boundarymore » conditions of the problem, we first calculate the polarization states and dielectric properties of ferroelectric nanolayers in dependence on the lattice mismatch between ferroic constituents and their volume fractions. In these calculations, the ferromagnetic component is described by a model which combines linear elastic behavior with magnetic-field-dependent lattice parameters. Then the quasistatic ME polarization and voltage coefficients are evaluated using the theoretical strain sensitivity of ferroelectric polarization and measured effective piezomagnetic coefficients of ferromagnets. For Pb(Zr₀.₅Ti₀.₅)O₃-FeGaB and BaTiO₃-FeGaB multilayers, the ME coefficients are calculated numerically as a function of the FeGaB volume fraction and used to evaluate the output charge and voltage signals. It is shown that the multilayer geometry of a ferroelectric-ferromagnetic nanocomposite opens the way for a drastic enhancement of the output charge signal. This feature makes biferroic multilayers advantageous for the development of ultrasensitive magnetic-field sensors for technical and biomedical applications.« less

  14. Local and Average Structures in Ferroelectrics under Perturbing Fields

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Usher, Tedi-Marie

    , different crystallographic directions respond by either domain reorientation or lattice strain, as governed by the material's symmetry. The composition at the phase boundary responds at a lower field and undergoes a phase transition. Next, the PDF method is described and then applied to a structural study of BT-xBZT in combination with HRXRD and ND studies. For BZT >9%, the structure is pseudocubic at the long-range with short-range tetragonal distortions. This structural length-scale dependence is characterized with a box-car fitting method and suggests that with sufficient BZT content, local tetragonal distortions are disrupted at length scales > 40 A. By combining long- and short-range studies, structural variations from the sub-nm to long-range are characterized and enhance the understanding of this and similar material systems. In the final chapters, the local-scale responses of ferroelectric and dielectric materials to electric fields are investigated by PDFs. The novel methodology of measuring X-ray total scattering during in situ application of electric fields is presented and results are shown for piezoelectric (BT), relaxor-ferroelectric (NBT), and dielectric materials (SrTiO3 and HfO2), as well as for NBT-xBT. Local-scale cation reorientation in NBT is evidenced and corresponds to an electric-field-induced phase transition. The ability to quantify local-scale atomic rearrangements during field application is unique to in situ PDF studies; it is not possible through in situ diffraction methods like those presented earlier. This method is extended to neutron-PDFs and ex situ results for NBT are shown. In order to interpret the local scale-changes observed in the in situ PDF studies, the local structures of a series of models with different real, physical effects (strains, polarization, changes in thermal motion, etc) are analyzed and characterized. Finally, the samples used are characterized in terms of grain size/appearance and piezoelectric and ferroelectric

  15. Room temperature ferroelectricity in one-dimensional single chain molecular magnets [{M(Δ)M(Λ)}(ox)2(phen)2]n (M = Fe and Mn)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bhatt, Pramod; Mukadam, M. D.; Meena, S. S.; Mishra, S. K.; Mittal, R.; Sastry, P. U.; Mandal, B. P.; Yusuf, S. M.

    2017-03-01

    The ferroelectric materials are mainly focused on pure inorganic oxides; however, the organic molecule based materials have recently attracted great attention because of their multifunctional properties. The mixing of oxalate and phenanthroline ligands with metal ions (Fe or Mn) at room temperature followed by hydrothermal treatment results in the formation of one-dimensional single chain molecular magnets which exhibit room temperature dielectric and ferroelectric behavior. The compounds are chiral in nature, and exhibit a ferroelectric behavior, attributed to the polar point group C2, in which they crystallized. The compounds are also associated with a dielectric loss and thus a relaxation process. The observed electric dipole moment, essential for a ferroelectricity, has been understood quantitatively in terms of lattice distortions at two different lattice sites within the crystal structure. The studied single chain molecular magnetic materials with room temperature ferroelectric and dielectric properties could be of great technological importance in non-volatile memory elements, and high-performance insulators.

  16. Two-diode behavior in metal-ferroelectric-semiconductor structures with bismuth titanate interfacial layer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Durmuş, Perihan; Altindal, Şemsettin

    2017-10-01

    In this study, electrical parameters of the Al/Bi4Ti3O12/p-Si metal-ferroelectric-semiconductor (MFS) structure and their temperature dependence were investigated using current-voltage (I-V) data measured between 120 K and 300 K. Semi-logarithmic I-V plots of the structure revealed that fabricated structure presents two-diode behavior that leads to two sets of ideality factor, reverse saturation current and zero-bias barrier height (BH) values. Obtained results of these parameters suggest that current conduction mechanism (CCM) deviates strongly from thermionic emission theory particularly at low temperatures. High values of interface states and nkT/q-kT/q plot supported the idea of deviation from thermionic emission. In addition, ln(I)-ln(V) plots suggested that CCM varies from one bias region to another and depends on temperature as well. Series resistance values were calculated using Ohm’s law and Cheungs’ functions, and they decreased drastically with increasing temperature.

  17. Ferroelectric switching in epitaxial PbZr0.2Ti0.8O3/ZnO/GaN heterostructures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Juan; Salev, Pavel; Grigoriev, Alexei

    As a wide-bandgap semiconductor, ZnO has gained substantial interest due to its favorable properties including high electron mobility, strong room-temperature luminescence, etc. The main obstacle of its application is the lack of reproducible and low-resistivity p-type ZnO. P-type doping of ZnO through the interface charge injection, which can be achieved by the polarization switching of ferroelectric films, is a tempting solution. We explored ferroelectric switching behavior of PbZr0.2Ti0.8O3/ZnO/GaN heterostructures epitaxially grown on Sapphire substrates by RF sputtering. The electrical measurements of Pt/PbZr0.2Ti0.8O3/ZnO/GaN ferroelectric-semiconductor capacitors revealed unusual behavior that is a combination of polarization switching and a diode I-V characteristics.

  18. Manipulation of polar order in the "empty" tetragonal tungsten bronzes: Ba4-xSrxDy0.67□1.33Nb10O30, x = 0, 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, 3

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gardner, Jonathan; Morrison, Finlay D.

    2016-08-01

    A series of "empty" tetragonal tungsten bronze (TTB) ferroelectrics, Ba4-xSrxDy0.67□1.33Nb10O30 (x = 0, 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, 3; □ = vacancy), is reported. With increasing x the unit cell contracts in both the ab plane and c-axis; x ≤ 1 compounds are normal ferroelectrics (FE) with decreasing TC as x increases, while x ≥ 2 are relaxor ferroelectrics (RFE) with associated frequency dependent permittivity peaks and with similar Tm and Tf (Vogel-Fulcher freezing temperatures) values. This observation is rationalised by differing cation occupancies: for x ≤ 1, Sr2+ principally occupies the A2-site (co-occupied by Ba2+ with the A1-site occupied by Dy3+ and vacancies); for x ≥ 2 significant Sr A1-site occupation leads to the observed RFE characteristics. This FE to RFE crossover is consistent with a previously proposed TTB crystal chemical framework where both a decrease in average A-site size and concurrent increase in A1-site tolerance factor (tA1) favour destabilization of long range polar order and relaxor behaviour. The effect of increasing tA1 as a result of Sr occupancy at the A1 site is dominant in the compounds reported here.

  19. Thin layer composite unimorph ferroelectric driver and sensor

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hellbaum, Richard F. (Inventor); Bryant, Robert G. (Inventor); Fox, Robert L. (Inventor); Jalink, Jr., Antony (Inventor); Rohrbach, Wayne W. (Inventor); Simpson, Joycelyn O. (Inventor)

    2004-01-01

    A method for forming ferroelectric wafers is provided. A prestress layer is placed on the desired mold. A ferroelectric wafer is placed on top of the prestress layer. The layers are heated and then cooled, causing the ferroelectric wafer to become prestressed. The prestress layer may include reinforcing material and the ferroelectric wafer may include electrodes or electrode layers may be placed on either side of the ferroelectric layer. Wafers produced using this method have greatly improved output motion.

  20. Thin Layer Composite Unimorph Ferroelectric Driver and Sensor

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Helbaum, Richard F. (Inventor); Bryant, Robert G. (Inventor); Fox, Robert L. (Inventor); Jalink, Antony, Jr. (Inventor); Rohrbach, Wayne W. (Inventor); Simpson, Joycelyn O. (Inventor)

    1995-01-01

    A method for forming ferroelectric wafers is provided. A prestress layer is placed on the desired mold. A ferroelectric wafer is placed on top of the prestress layer. The layers are heated and then cooled, causing the ferroelectric wafer to become prestressed. The prestress layer may include reinforcing material and the ferroelectric wafer may include electrodes or electrode layers may be placed on either side of the ferroelectric layer. Wafers produced using this method have greatly improved output motion.

  1. Emergent ferroelectricity in disordered tri-color multilayer structure comprised of ferromagnetic manganites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Niu, Li-Wei; Chen, Chang-Le; Dong, Xiang-Lei; Xing, Hui; Luo, Bing-Cheng; Jin, Ke-Xin

    2016-10-01

    Multiferroic materials, showing the coexistence and coupling of ferroelectric and magnetic orders, are of great technological and fundamental importance. However, the limitation of single phase multiferroics with robust magnetization and polarization hinders the magnetoelectric effect from being applied practically. Magnetic frustration, which can induce ferroelectricity, gives rise to multiferroic behavior. In this paper, we attempt to construct an artificial magnetically frustrated structure comprised of manganites to induce ferroelectricity. A disordered stacking of manganites is expected to result in frustration at interfaces. We report here that a tri-color multilayer structure comprised of non-ferroelectric La0.9Ca0.1MnO3(A)/Pr0.85Ca0.15MnO3(B)/Pr0.85Sr0.15MnO3(C) layers with the disordered arrangement of ABC-ACB-CAB-CBA-BAC-BCA is prepared to form magnetoelectric multiferroics. The multilayer film exhibits evidence of ferroelectricity at room temperature, thus presenting a candidate for multiferroics. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 61471301, 61078057, 51172183, 51402240, and 51471134), the Specialized Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education, China (Grant No. 20126102110045), the Natural Science Foundation of Shaanxi Province, China (Grant No. 2015JQ5125), and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, China (Grant No. 3102015ZY078).

  2. Structural Transition and Electrical Properties of (1 - x)(Na0.4K0.1Bi0.5)TiO3- xSrTiO3 Lead-Free Piezoceramics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Xing; Zhai, Jiwei; Shen, Bo; Li, Feng; Li, Peng

    2017-10-01

    (1 - x)(Na0.4K0.1Bi0.5)TiO3- xSrTiO3 (NKBT- xST) ceramics with x = 0 mol.%, 3 mol.%, and 5 mol.% (0ST, 3ST, and 5ST) have been prepared by a conventional solid-state reaction method and their ferroelectric, electrostrictive, and pyroelectric properties investigated. Addition of ST considerably disrupted the long-range ferroelectric order of NKBT- xST ceramics, and the 5ST ceramic exhibited ergodic relaxor phase structure. T FR shifted to near or below room temperature for 5ST ceramic, accompanied by a significant decline of ferroelectricity and enhanced strain. As the temperature approached T FR, the NKBT- xST ceramics exhibited predominantly electrostrictive effect, and the 5ST ceramic presented relatively high electrostrictive coefficient Q 33 of 0.0193 m4/C2. High pyroelectric response was observed for 0ST, 3ST, and 5ST ceramics in the vicinity of T FR due to the large polarization release during the ferroelectric-relaxor structural transition. The 5ST ceramic exhibited high and frequency-insensitive (100 Hz to 10 kHz) room-temperature pyroelectric properties with pyroelectric coefficient p of 656 μC m-2 K-1 and figures of merit F i, F v, and F d reaching 233 pm/V, 0.013 m2/C, and 7.61 μPa-1/2, respectively, indicating that 5ST ceramic is a promising candidate to replace PZT-based ceramics.

  3. Investigation of the ferroelectric switching behavior of P(VDF-TrFE)-PMMA blended films for synaptic device applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, E. J.; Kim, K. A.; Yoon, S. M.

    2016-02-01

    Synaptic plasticity can be mimicked by electronic synaptic devices. By using ferroelectric thin films as gate insulator for thin-film transistors (TFT), channel conductance can be defined as the synaptic plasticity, and gradually modulated by the variations in amounts of aligned ferroelectric dipoles. Poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene) [P(VDF-TrFE)]-poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) blended films are chosen and their switching kinetics are investigated by using the Kolmogorov-Avrami-Ishibashi model. The switching time for ferroelectric polarization is sensitively influenced by the amplitude of applied electric field and volumetric ratio of ferroelectric beta-phases in the P(VDF-TrFE)-PMMA films. The switching time of the P(VDF-TrFE) increases with decreasing the pulse amplitude and/or the ratio of ferroelectric beta-phases by incorporation of PMMA. The activation electric field is also found to increase as the increase in blended amount of PMMA. Synapse TFTs are fabricated using the P(VDF-TrFE)-PMMA as gate insulator and In-Ga-Zn-O active channels. The drain currents of the synapse TFTs gradually increased when the voltage pulse signals with given duration are repeatedly applied. This suggests that the synaptic weights can be modulated by the number of external pulse signals, and that the proposed synapse TFT can be applied for mimicking the operations of bio-synapses.

  4. Atomic-level structural correlations across the morphotropic phase boundary of a ferroelectric solid solution: xBiMg 1/2Ti 1/2O 3-(1$-$x)PbTiO 3

    DOE PAGES

    Datta, Kaustuv; Neder, Reinhard B.; Chen, Jun; ...

    2017-03-28

    Revelation of unequivocal structural information at the atomic level for complex systems is uniquely important for deeper and generic understanding of the structure property connections and a key challenge in materials science. Here in this paper we report an experimental study of the local structure by applying total elastic scattering and Raman scattering analyses to an important non-relaxor ferroelectric solid solution exhibiting the so-called composition-induced morphotropic phase boundary (MPB), where concomitant enhancement of physical properties have been detected. The powerful combination of static and dynamic structural probes enabled us to derive direct correspondence between the atomic-level structural correlations and reportedmore » properties. The atomic pair distribution functions obtained from the neutron total scattering experiments were analysed through big-box atom-modelling implementing reverse Monte Carlo method, from which distributions of magnitudes and directions of off-centred cationic displacements were extracted. We found that an enhanced randomness of the displacement-directions for all ferroelectrically active cations combined with a strong dynamical coupling between the A- and B-site cations of the perovskite structure, can explain the abrupt amplification of piezoelectric response of the system near MPB. Finally, altogether this provides a more fundamental basis in inferring structure-property connections in similar systems including important implications in designing novel and bespoke materials.« less

  5. CuInP 2S 6 Room Temperature Layered Ferroelectric

    DOE PAGES

    Belianinov, Alex; He, Qian; Dziaugys, Andrius; ...

    2015-05-01

    In this paper, we explore ferroelectric properties of cleaved 2-D flakes of copper indium thiophosphate, CuInP 2S 6 (CITP), and probe size effects along with limits of ferroelectric phase stability, by ambient and ultra high vacuum scanning probe microscopy. CITP belongs to the only material family known to display ferroelectric polarization in a van der Waals, layered crystal at room temperature and above. Our measurements directly reveal stable, ferroelectric polarization as evidenced by domain structures, switchable polarization, and hysteresis loops. We found that at room temperature the domain structure of flakes thicker than 100 nm is similar to the cleavedmore » bulk surfaces, whereas below 50 nm polarization disappears. We ascribe this behavior to a well-known instability of polarization due to depolarization field. Furthermore, polarization switching at high bias is also associated with ionic mobility, as evidenced both by macroscopic measurements and by formation of surface damage under the tip at a bias of 4 V—likely due to copper reduction. Mobile Cu ions may therefore also contribute to internal screening mechanisms. Finally, the existence of stable polarization in a van-der-Waals crystal naturally points toward new strategies for ultimate scaling of polar materials, quasi-2D, and single-layer materials with advanced and nonlinear dielectric properties that are presently not found in any members of the growing “graphene family”.« less

  6. An energy-consistent fracture model for ferroelectrics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Miao, Hongchen; Li, Faxin

    2017-02-01

    The fracture behavior of ferroelectrics has been intensively studied in recent decades, though currently a widely accepted fracture mechanism is still lacking. In this work, enlightened by previous experimental observations that crack propagation in ferroelectrics is always accompanied by domain switching, we propose a micromechanical model in which both crack propagation and domain switching are controlled by energy-based criteria. Both electric energy and mechanical energy can induce domain switching, while only mechanical energy can drive crack propagation. Furthermore, constrained domain switching is considered in this model, leading to the gradient domain switching zone near the crack tip. Analysis results show that stress-induced ferroelastic switching always has a toughening effect as the mechanical energy release rate serves as the driving force for both fracture and domain switching. In comparison, the electric-field-induced switching may have either a toughening or detoughening effect. The proposed model can qualitatively agree with the existing experimental results.

  7. Multiscale Simulations of Dynamics of Ferroelectric Domains

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Shi

    Ferroelectrics with switchable polarization have many important technological applications, which heavily rely on the interactions between the polarization and external perturbations. Understanding the dynamical response of ferroelectric materials is crucial for the discovery and development of new design principles and engineering strategies for optimized and breakthrough applications of ferroelectrics. We developed a multiscale computational approach that combines methods at different length and time scales to elucidate the connection between local structures, domain dynamics, and macroscopic finite-temperature properties of ferroelectrics. We started from first-principles calculations of ferroelectrics to build a model interatomic potential, enabling large-scale molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The atomistic insights of nucleation and growth at the domain wall obtained from MD were then incorporated into a continuum model within the framework of Landau-Ginzburg-Devonshire theory. This progressive theoretical framework allows for the first time an efficient and accurate estimation of macroscopic properties such as the coercive field for a broad range of ferroelectrics from first-principles. This multiscale approach has also been applied to explore the effect of dipolar defects on ferroelectric switching and to understand the origin of giant electro-strain coupling. ONR, NSF, Carnegie Institution for Science.

  8. Cooperative Couplings between Octahedral Rotations and Ferroelectricity in Perovskites and Related Materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gu, Teng; Scarbrough, Timothy; Yang, Yurong; Íñiguez, Jorge; Bellaiche, L.; Xiang, H. J.

    2018-05-01

    The structure of AB O 3 perovskites is dominated by two types of unstable modes, namely, the oxygen octahedral rotation (AFD) and ferroelectric (FE) mode. It is generally believed that such AFD and FE modes tend to compete and suppress each other. Here we use first-principles methods to show that a dual nature of the FE-AFD coupling, which turns from competitive to cooperative as the AFD mode strengthens, occurs in numerous perovskite oxides. We provide a unified model of such a dual interaction by introducing novel high-order coupling terms and explain the atomistic origin of the resulting new form of ferroelectricity in terms of universal steric mechanisms. We also predict that such a novel form of ferroelectricity leads to atypical behaviors, such as an enhancement of all the three Cartesian components of the electric polarization under hydrostatic pressure and compressive epitaxial strain.

  9. Negative capacitance in multidomain ferroelectric superlattices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zubko, Pavlo; Wojdeł, Jacek C.; Hadjimichael, Marios; Fernandez-Pena, Stéphanie; Sené, Anaïs; Luk'Yanchuk, Igor; Triscone, Jean-Marc; Íñiguez, Jorge

    2016-06-01

    The stability of spontaneous electrical polarization in ferroelectrics is fundamental to many of their current applications, which range from the simple electric cigarette lighter to non-volatile random access memories. Research on nanoscale ferroelectrics reveals that their behaviour is profoundly different from that in bulk ferroelectrics, which could lead to new phenomena with potential for future devices. As ferroelectrics become thinner, maintaining a stable polarization becomes increasingly challenging. On the other hand, intentionally destabilizing this polarization can cause the effective electric permittivity of a ferroelectric to become negative, enabling it to behave as a negative capacitance when integrated in a heterostructure. Negative capacitance has been proposed as a way of overcoming fundamental limitations on the power consumption of field-effect transistors. However, experimental demonstrations of this phenomenon remain contentious. The prevalent interpretations based on homogeneous polarization models are difficult to reconcile with the expected strong tendency for domain formation, but the effect of domains on negative capacitance has received little attention. Here we report negative capacitance in a model system of multidomain ferroelectric-dielectric superlattices across a wide range of temperatures, in both the ferroelectric and paraelectric phases. Using a phenomenological model, we show that domain-wall motion not only gives rise to negative permittivity, but can also enhance, rather than limit, its temperature range. Our first-principles-based atomistic simulations provide detailed microscopic insight into the origin of this phenomenon, identifying the dominant contribution of near-interface layers and paving the way for its future exploitation.

  10. Electric field induced short range to long range structural ordering and its influence on the Eu{sup +3} photoluminescence in the lead-free ferroelectric Na{sub 1/2}Bi{sub 1/2}TiO{sub 3}

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kalaskar, Abhijeet; Rao, Badari Narayana; Ranjan, Rajeev, E-mail: rajeev@materials.iisc.ernet.in

    2015-06-28

    Eu{sup +3} was incorporated into the lattice of a lead-free ferroelectric Na{sub 1/2}Bi{sub 1/2}TiO{sub 3} (NBT) as per the nominal formula Na{sub 0.5}Bi{sub 0.5−x}Eu{sub x}TiO{sub 3}. This system was investigated with regard to the Eu{sup +3} photoluminescence (PL) and structural behaviour as a function of composition and electric field. Electric field was found to irreversibly change the features in the PL spectra and also in the x-ray diffraction patterns below the critical composition x = 0.025. Detailed analysis revealed that below the critical composition, electric field irreversibly suppresses the structural heterogeneity inherent of the host matrix NBT and brings about a longmore » range ferroelectric state with rhombohedral (R3c) distortion. It is shown that the structural disorder on the nano-scale opens a new channel for radiative transition which manifests as a new emission line branching off from the main {sup 5}D{sub 0}→{sup 7}F{sub 0} line along with a concomitant change in the relative intensity of the other crystal field induced Stark lines with different J values. The study suggests that Eu{sup +3} luminescence can be used to probe the relative degree of field induced structural ordering in relaxor ferroelectrics and also in high performance piezoelectric alloys where electric field couples very strongly with the lattice and structural degrees of freedom.« less

  11. New iron-based multiferroics with improper ferroelectricity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Peng, Jin; Zhang, Yang; Lin, Ling-Fang; Lin, Lin; Liu, Meifeng; Liu, Jun-Ming; Dong, Shuai

    2018-06-01

    In this contribution to the special issue on magnetoelectrics and their applications, we focus on some single phase multiferroics, which have been theoretically predicted and/or experimentally discovered by the authors in recent years. In these materials, iron is the common core element. However, these materials are conceptually different from the mostly-studied BiFeO3, since their ferroelectricity is improper. Our reviewed materials are not simply repeating one magnetoelectric mechanism, but cover multiple branches of improper ferroelectricity, including the magnetism-driven ferroelectrics, geometric ferroelectric, as well as electronic ferroelectric driven by charge ordering. In this sense, these iron-based improper ferroelectrics can be an encyclopaedic playground to explore the comprehensive physics of multiferroics and magnetoelectricity. Furthermore, the unique characteristics of iron’s 3d orbitals make some of their magnetoelectric properties quite prominent, comparing with the extensively-studied Mn-based improper multiferroics. In addition, these materials establish the crossover between multiferroics and other fields of functional materials, which enlarges the application scope of multiferroics.

  12. Structure-Function Relationships of Ferroelectric Polymers.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pavlopoulou, Eleni; Maiz, Jon; Spampinato, Nicoletta; Maglione, Mario; Hadziioannou, Georges

    Poly(vinylidene fluoride), PVDF, and its copolymers with trifluoroethylene, P(VDF-co-TrFE) have been long appreciated for their excellent ferroelectric properties. Although they have been mainly studied in the 80s and 90s, understanding their performance is still lacking. Yet the increasing use of P(VDF-co-TrFE) thin films in organic electronic devices during the last ten years revives the need for apprehending the function of these materials. In this work we investigate the structure of P(VDF-co-TrFE) films and correlate it to their ferroelectric properties. Our results show that ferroelectric performance is solely driven by the fraction of polymer that has been crystallized in the ferroelectric phases of PVDF. The relations between remnant polarization, coercive field and dipole switching rate of P(VDF-co-TrFE) with the ferroelectric crystallinity are demonstrated. The French Research Agency (ANR), the Aquitaine Region, Arkema and STMicroelectronics are kindly acknowledged for financial support.

  13. Ferroelectric symmetry-protected multibit memory cell

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Baudry, Laurent; Lukyanchuk, Igor; Vinokur, Valerii M.

    2017-02-01

    The tunability of electrical polarization in ferroelectrics is instrumental to their applications in information-storage devices. The existing ferroelectric memory cells are based on the two-level storage capacity with the standard binary logics. However, the latter have reached its fundamental limitations. Here we propose ferroelectric multibit cells (FMBC) utilizing the ability of multiaxial ferroelectric materials to pin the polarization at a sequence of the multistable states. Employing the catastrophe theory principles we show that these states are symmetry-protected against the information loss and thus realize novel topologically-controlled access memory (TAM). Our findings enable developing a platform for the emergent many-valued non-Boolean information technology and target challenges posed by needs of quantum and neuromorphic computing.

  14. Static ferroelectric memory transistor having improved data retention

    DOEpatents

    Evans, Jr., Joseph T.; Warren, William L.; Tuttle, Bruce A.

    1996-01-01

    An improved ferroelectric FET structure in which the ferroelectric layer is doped to reduce retention loss. A ferroelectric FET according to the present invention includes a semiconductor layer having first and second contacts thereon, the first and second contacts being separated from one another. The ferroelectric FET also includes a bottom electrode and a ferroelectric layer which is sandwiched between the semiconductor layer and the bottom electrode. The ferroelectric layer is constructed from a perovskite structure of the chemical composition ABO.sub.3 wherein the B site comprises first and second elements and a dopant element that has an oxidation state greater than +4 in sufficient concentration to impede shifts in the resistance measured between the first and second contacts with time. The ferroelectric FET structure preferably comprises Pb in the A-site. The first and second elements are preferably Zr and Ti, respectively. The preferred B-site dopants are Niobium, Tantalum, and Tungsten at concentrations between 1% and 8%.

  15. Substrate-induced dielectric polarization in thin films of lead-free (Sr0.5Bi0.5)2Mn2-xTixO6-δ perovskites grown by pulsed laser deposition

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Álvarez-Serrano, I.; Ruiz de Larramendi, I.; López, M. L.; Veiga, M. L.

    2017-03-01

    Thin films of SrBiMn2-xTixO6-δ have been fabricated by Pulsed Laser Deposition on SrTiO3 [100] and [111] substrates. Their texture, width, homogeneity and morphology are evaluated by means of XRD, SEM, XPS, whereas complex impedance spectroscopy is employed to analyze their electrical response. The thickness values range between 80 and 900 nm depending on the experimental conditions. The epitaxial growing could be interpreted in terms of two contributions of microstructural origin: a matrix part and some polycrystalline surface formations (hemi-spheres). Texture studies suggest a fiber-type orientated morphology coherently with the Scanning Electron Microscopy images. XPS analyses indicate a segregation regarding A-sublattice cations, which features depend on the substrate orientation. This segregation could be connected to the development of nanopolar regions. Impedance data show the electrical polarization in the samples to be enhanced compared to bulk response of corresponding powdered samples. A relaxor behavior which fits a Vogel-Fulcher law is obtained for x = 0.50 whereas an almost frequency-independent relaxor ferroelectric behavior is registered for the thinnest film of x = 0.25 composition grown on SrTiO3 [111] substrate. The influence of compositional and structural aspects in the obtained dielectric response is analyzed.

  16. Epitaxy of Ferroelectric P(VDF-TrFE) Films via Removable PTFE Templates and Its Application in Semiconducting/Ferroelectric Blend Resistive Memory.

    PubMed

    Xia, Wei; Peter, Christian; Weng, Junhui; Zhang, Jian; Kliem, Herbert; Jiang, Yulong; Zhu, Guodong

    2017-04-05

    Ferroelectric polymer based devices exhibit great potentials in low-cost and flexible electronics. To meet the requirements of both low voltage operation and low energy consumption, thickness of ferroelectric polymer films is usually required to be less than, for example, 100 nm. However, decrease of film thickness is also accompanied by the degradation of both crystallinity and ferroelectricity and also the increase of current leakage, which surely degrades device performance. Here we report one epitaxy method based on removable poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE) templates for high-quality fabrication of ordered ferroelectric polymer thin films. Experimental results indicate that such epitaxially grown ferroelectric polymer films exhibit well improved crystallinity, reduced current leakage and good resistance to electrical breakdown, implying their applications in high-performance and low voltage operated ferroelectric devices. On the basis of this removable PTFE template method, we fabricated organic semiconducting/ferroelectric blend resistive films which presented record electrical performance with operation voltage as low as 5 V and ON/OFF ratio up to 10 5 .

  17. Ferroelectric properties of YMnO3 epitaxial films for ferroelectric-gate field-effect transistors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ito, Daisuke; Fujimura, Norifumi; Yoshimura, Takeshi; Ito, Taichiro

    2003-05-01

    Ferroelectric properties of YMnO3 epitaxial films were studied. The ferroelectric properties of epitaxially grown (0001) YMnO3 films on (111)Pt/(0001)sapphire (epi-YMO/Pt) with an excellent crystallinity were compared to (0001)-oriented poly crystalline films on (111)Pt/ZrO2/SiO2/Si. The epi-YMO/Pt had saturated polarization-electric-field (P-E) hysteresis loops, with a remanent polarization (Pr) of 1.7 μC/cm2 and a coercive field (Ec) of 80 kV/cm. The fatigue property showed no degradation up to 1010 measured cycles. These results suggested that the YMnO3 epitaxial films were suitable ferroelectric material for the ferroelectric-gate field-effect transistors. Consequently, epitaxially grown (0001)YMnO3 films on epitaxial Y2O3/Si (epi-YMO/Si) were fabricated. The epi-YMO/Si capacitor had almost equivalent crystallinity compared to epi-YMO/Pt. It was recognized that the epi-YMO/Si capacitor exhibited the ferroelectric type C-V hysteresis loop with the width of the memory window of 4.8 V, which was almost identical to the value of twice coercive voltage of the P-E hysteresis loops of the epi-YMO/Pt. A retention time exceeding 104 s was obtained in the epi-YMO/Si capacitor.

  18. Ferroelectric domain engineering by focused infrared femtosecond pulses

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Chen, Xin; Shvedov, Vladlen; Sheng, Yan, E-mail: yan.sheng@anu.edu.au

    2015-10-05

    We demonstrate infrared femtosecond laser-induced inversion of ferroelectric domains. This process can be realised solely by using tightly focused laser pulses without application of any electric field prior to, in conjunction with, or subsequent to the laser irradiation. As most ferroelectric crystals like LiNbO{sub 3}, LiTaO{sub 3}, and KTiOPO{sub 4} are transparent in the infrared, this optical poling method allows one to form ferroelectric domain patterns much deeper inside a ferroelectric crystal than by using ultraviolet light and hence can be used to fabricate practical devices. We also propose in situ diagnostics of the ferroelectric domain inversion process by monitoringmore » the Čerenkov second harmonic signal, which is sensitive to the appearance of ferroelectric domain walls.« less

  19. Ferroelectricity emerging in strained (111)-textured ZrO{sub 2} thin films

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Fan, Zhen, E-mail: a0082709@u.nus.edu, E-mail: msecj@nus.edu.sg; Deng, Jinyu; Liu, Ziyan

    2016-01-04

    (Anti-)ferroelectricity in complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS)-compatible binary oxides have attracted considerable research interest recently. Here, we show that by using substrate-induced strain, the orthorhombic phase and the desired ferroelectricity could be achieved in ZrO{sub 2} thin films. Our theoretical analyses suggest that the strain imposed on the ZrO{sub 2} (111) film by the TiN/MgO (001) substrate would energetically favor the tetragonal (t) and orthorhombic (o) phases over the monoclinic (m) phase of ZrO{sub 2}, and the compressive strain along certain 〈11-2〉 directions may further stabilize the o-phase. Experimentally ZrO{sub 2} thin films are sputtered onto the MgO (001) substrates buffered bymore » epitaxial TiN layers. ZrO{sub 2} thin films exhibit t- and o-phases, which are highly (111)-textured and strained, as evidenced by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. Both polarization-electric field (P-E) loops and corresponding current responses to voltage stimulations measured with appropriate applied fields reveal the ferroelectric sub-loop behavior of the ZrO{sub 2} films at certain thicknesses, confirming that the ferroelectric o-phase has been developed in the strained (111)-textured ZrO{sub 2} films. However, further increasing the applied field leads to the disappearance of ferroelectric hysteresis, the possible reasons of which are discussed.« less

  20. Room temperature ferroelectricity in fluoroperovskite thin films.

    PubMed

    Yang, Ming; Kc, Amit; Garcia-Castro, A C; Borisov, Pavel; Bousquet, E; Lederman, David; Romero, Aldo H; Cen, Cheng

    2017-08-03

    The NaMnF 3 fluoride-perovskite has been found, theoretically, to be ferroelectric under epitaxial strain becoming a promising alternative to conventional oxides for multiferroic applications. Nevertheless, this fluoroperovskite has not been experimentally verified to be ferroelectric so far. Here we report signatures of room temperature ferroelectricity observed in perovskite NaMnF 3 thin films grown on SrTiO 3 . Using piezoresponse force microscopy, we studied the evolution of ferroelectric polarization in response to external and built-in electric fields. Density functional theory calculations were also performed to help understand the strong competition between ferroelectric and paraelectric phases as well as the profound influences of strain. These results, together with the magnetic order previously reported in the same material, pave the way to future multiferroic and magnetoelectric investigations in fluoroperovskites.

  1. Photoelectron spectroscopic and microspectroscopic probes of ferroelectrics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tǎnase, Liviu C.; Abramiuc, Laura E.; Teodorescu, Cristian M.

    2017-12-01

    This contribution is a review of recent aspects connected with photoelectron spectroscopy of free ferroelectric surfaces, metals interfaced with these surfaces, graphene-like layers together with some exemplifications concerning molecular adsorption, dissociations and desorptions occurring from ferroelectrics. Standard photoelectron spectroscopy is used nowadays in correlation with other characterization techniques, such as piezoresponse force microscopy, high resolution transmission electron spectroscopy, and ferroelectric hysteresis cycles. In this work we will concentrate mainly on photoelectron spectroscopy and spectro-microscopy characterization of ferroelectric thin films, starting from atomically clean ferroelectric surfaces of lead zirco-titanate, then going towards heterostructures using this material in combination with graphene-like carbon layers or with metals. Concepts involving charge accumulation and depolarization near surface will be revisited by taking into account the newest findings in this area.

  2. Ferroelectric Thin-Film Capacitors As Ultraviolet Detectors

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Thakoor, Sarita

    1995-01-01

    Advantages include rapid response, solar blindness, and relative invulnerability to ionizing radiation. Ferroelectric capacitor made to function as photovoltaic detector of ultraviolet photons by making one of its electrodes semitransparent. Photovoltaic effect exploited more fully by making Schottky barrier at illuminated semitransparent-electrode/ferroelectric interface taller than Schottky barrier at other electrode/ferroelectric interface.

  3. Ferroelectric symmetry-protected multibit memory cell

    DOE PAGES

    Baudry, Laurent; Lukyanchuk, Igor; Vinokur, Valerii M.

    2017-02-08

    Here, the tunability of electrical polarization in ferroelectrics is instrumental to their applications in information-storage devices. The existing ferroelectric memory cells are based on the two-level storage capacity with the standard binary logics. However, the latter have reached its fundamental limitations. Here we propose ferroelectric multibit cells (FMBC) utilizing the ability of multiaxial ferroelectric materials to pin the polarization at a sequence of the multistable states. Employing the catastrophe theory principles we show that these states are symmetry-protected against the information loss and thus realize novel topologically-controlled access memory (TAM). Our findings enable developing a platform for the emergent many-valuedmore » non-Boolean information technology and target challenges posed by needs of quantum and neuromorphic computing.« less

  4. Ferroelectricity in corundum derivatives

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ye, Meng; Vanderbilt, David

    The search for new ferroelectric (FE) materials holds promise for broadening our understanding of FE mechanisms and extending the range of application of FE materials. The known FE materials LiNbO3 can be regarded as derived from the A2O3 corundum structure with cation ordering. Here we consider more general binary (AB O3) and ternary (A2 BB' O6) corundum derivatives as an extended class of potential FE materials, motivated by the fact that some members of this class have recently been synthesized. There are four structure types for these corundum derivatives, and the number of cation combinations is enormous, but in many cases the energy barriers for polarization reversal may be too large to allow FE behavior. Here we present a first-principles study of the polar structure, coherent FE barrier, and domain-wall switching barrier for a representative set of polar corundum derivatives, allowing us to identify several potentially new FE materials. We also discuss the conditions under which ferroelectricity is compatible with magnetic ordering. Finally, we identify several empirical measures that can provide a rule of thumb for estimating the barrier energies. Our results should assist in the experimental search for new FE materials in the corundum derivative family. This work is supported by ONR Grant No. N-00014-12-1-1035.

  5. Ferroelectric capacitor with reduced imprint

    DOEpatents

    Evans, Jr., Joseph T.; Warren, William L.; Tuttle, Bruce A.; Dimos, Duane B.; Pike, Gordon E.

    1997-01-01

    An improved ferroelectric capacitor exhibiting reduced imprint effects in comparison to prior art capacitors. A capacitor according to the present invention includes top and bottom electrodes and a ferroelectric layer sandwiched between the top and bottom electrodes, the ferroelectric layer comprising a perovskite structure of the chemical composition ABO.sub.3 wherein the B-site comprises first and second elements and a dopant element that has an oxidation state greater than +4. The concentration of the dopant is sufficient to reduce shifts in the coercive voltage of the capacitor with time. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the ferroelectric element comprises Pb in the A-site, and the first and second elements are Zr and Ti, respectively. The preferred dopant is chosen from the group consisting of Niobium, Tantalum, and Tungsten. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the dopant occupies between 1 and 8% of the B-sites.

  6. Dielectric maximum temperature non-monotonic behavior in unaxial Sr0.75Ba0.25Nb2O6 relaxor seen via acoustic emission

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dul'kin, E.; Kojima, S.; Roth, M.

    2011-08-01

    [100] oriented Sr0.75Ba0.25Nb2O6 relaxor crystals have been studied by means of acoustic emission (AE) over a wide 20-400 °C temperature range. Both the Burns temperature, Td = 350 °C, and the intermediate temperature, T* = 183°C, and the susceptibility maximum temperature, Tm (59 °C on heating and 47 °C on cooling), have been successfully detected. Dependent upon the external electric field, the Tm exhibits a local minimum near 0.25 kV/cm accompanied by pronounced AE maximum in a manner which had recently been detected in Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-0.33PbTiO3 by Dul'kin et al. [Appl. Phys. Lett. 94, 252904 (2009)] and in Pb(Sc1/2Ta1/2)O3 by Dul'kin et al. [Phys. Rev. B 82, 180101(R) (2010)], whereas the T* increases monotonically, similar to that which had recently been revealed in BaTiO3 by Dul'kin et al. [Appl. Phys. Lett. 97, 032903 (2010)] with a rate of 7.5 K cm/kV. An observed Tm behavior is discussed from the point of view of the existence of the random electric field components along the [100] direction in Sr0.75Ba0.25Nb2O6 crystals.

  7. Ferroelectric devices using lead zirconate titanate (PZT) nanoparticles.

    PubMed

    Paik, Young Hun; Kojori, Hossein Shokri; Kim, Sung Jin

    2016-02-19

    We successfully demonstrate the synthesis of lead zirconate titanate nanoparticles (PZT NPs) and a ferroelectric device using the synthesized PZT NPs. The crystalline structure and the size of the nanocrystals are studied using x-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy, respectively. We observe <100 nm of PZT NPs and this result matches dynamic light scattering measurements. A solution-based low-temperature process is used to fabricate PZT NP-based devices on an indium tin oxide substrate. The fabricated ferroelectric devices are characterized using various optical and electrical measurements and we verify ferroelectric properties including ferroelectric hysteresis and the ferroelectric photovoltaic effect. Our approach enables low-temperature solution-based processes that could be used for various applications. To the best of our knowledge, this low-temperature solution processed ferroelectric device using PZT NPs is the first successful demonstration of its kind.

  8. Ferroelectric devices using lead zirconate titanate (PZT) nanoparticles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Paik, Young Hun; Shokri Kojori, Hossein; Kim, Sung Jin

    2016-02-01

    We successfully demonstrate the synthesis of lead zirconate titanate nanoparticles (PZT NPs) and a ferroelectric device using the synthesized PZT NPs. The crystalline structure and the size of the nanocrystals are studied using x-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy, respectively. We observe <100 nm of PZT NPs and this result matches dynamic light scattering measurements. A solution-based low-temperature process is used to fabricate PZT NP-based devices on an indium tin oxide substrate. The fabricated ferroelectric devices are characterized using various optical and electrical measurements and we verify ferroelectric properties including ferroelectric hysteresis and the ferroelectric photovoltaic effect. Our approach enables low-temperature solution-based processes that could be used for various applications. To the best of our knowledge, this low-temperature solution processed ferroelectric device using PZT NPs is the first successful demonstration of its kind.

  9. Method for disclosing invisible physical properties in metal-ferroelectric-insulator-semiconductor gate stacks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sakai, Shigeki; Zhang, Wei; Takahashi, Mitsue

    2017-04-01

    In metal-ferroelectric-insulator-semiconductor gate stacks of ferroelectric-gate field effect transistors (FeFETs), it is impossible to directly obtain curves of polarization versus electric field (P f-E f) in the ferroelectric layer. The P f-E f behavior is not simple, i.e. the P f-E f curves are hysteretic and nonlinear, and the hysteresis curve width depends on the electric field scan amplitude. Unless the P f-E f relation is known, the field E f strength cannot be solved when the voltage is applied between the gate meal and the semiconductor substrate, and thus P f-E f cannot be obtained after all. In this paper, the method for disclosing the relationships among the polarization peak-to-peak amplitude (2P mm_av), the electric field peak-to-peak amplitude (2E mm_av), and the memory window (E w) in units of the electric field is presented. To get P mm_av versus E mm_av, FeFETs with different ferroelectric-layer thicknesses should be prepared. Knowing such essential physical parameters is helpful and in many cases enough to quantitatively understand the behavior of FeFETs. The method is applied to three groups. The first one consists of SrBi2Ta2O9-based FeFETs. The second and third ones consist of Ca x Sr1-x Bi2Ta2O9-based FeFETs made by two kinds of annealing. The method can clearly differentiate the characters of the three groups. By applying the method, ferroelectric relationships among P mm_av, E mm_av, and E w are well classified in the three groups according to the difference of the material kinds and the annealing conditions. The method also evaluates equivalent oxide thickness (EOT) of a dual layer of a deposited high-k insulator and a thermally-grown SiO2-like interfacial layer (IL). The IL thickness calculated by the method is consistent with cross-sectional image of the FeFETs observed by a transmission electron microscope. The method successfully discloses individual characteristics of the ferroelectric and the insulator layers hidden in the gate stack

  10. Optimization of Ferroelectric Ceramics by Design at the Microstructure Level

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jayachandran, K. P.; Guedes, J. M.; Rodrigues, H. C.

    2010-05-01

    Ferroelectric materials show remarkable physical behaviors that make them essential for many devices and have been extensively studied for their applications of nonvolatile random access memory (NvRAM) and high-speed random access memories. Although ferroelectric ceramics (polycrystals) present ease in manufacture and in compositional modifications and represent the widest application area of materials, computational and theoretical studies are sparse owing to many reasons including the large number of constituent atoms. Macroscopic properties of ferroelectric polycrystals are dominated by the inhomogeneities at the crystallographic domain/grain level. Orientation of grains/domains is critical to the electromechanical response of the single crystalline and polycrystalline materials. Polycrystalline materials have the potential of exhibiting better performance at a macroscopic scale by design of the domain/grain configuration at the domain-size scale. This suggests that piezoelectric properties can be optimized by a proper choice of the parameters which control the distribution of grain orientations. Nevertheless, this choice is complicated and it is impossible to analyze all possible combinations of the distribution parameters or the angles themselves. Hence we have implemented the stochastic optimization technique of simulated annealing combined with the homogenization for the optimization problem. The mathematical homogenization theory of a piezoelectric medium is implemented in the finite element method (FEM) by solving the coupled equilibrium electrical and mechanical fields. This implementation enables the study of the dependence of the macroscopic electromechanical properties of a typical crystalline and polycrystalline ferroelectric ceramic on the grain orientation.

  11. Dielectric properties of ferroelectric betaine phosphite crystals with a high degree of deuteration

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Balashova, E. V.; Krichevtsov, B. B.; Yurko, E. I.; Svinarev, F. B.; Pankova, G. A.

    2015-12-01

    The dielectric properties of deuterated betaine phosphite crystals with a high degree of deuteration in the region of the antiferrodistorsive (at T = T c1) and ferroelectric (at T = T c2) phase transitions have been investigated. The temperature behavior of the dielectric permittivity of betaine phosphite and deuterated betaine phosphite has been described within the framework of the Landau thermodynamic model taking into account the biquadratic coupling between the polar order parameter of the ferroelectric transition and the nonpolar order parameter of the antiferrodistorsive phase transition. It has been shown that an increase in the degree of deuteration leads to a decrease in the coupling between the order parameters. An increase in the temperature of the ferroelectric phase transition due to the deuteration of betaine phosphite is caused by an increase in the dielectric permittivity in the symmetric phase above the temperature of the antiferrodistorsive phase transition.

  12. Ferroelectric self-assembled molecular materials showing both rectifying and switchable conductivity

    PubMed Central

    Gorbunov, Andrey V.; Garcia Iglesias, Miguel; Guilleme, Julia; Cornelissen, Tim D.; Roelofs, W. S. Christian; Torres, Tomas; González-Rodríguez, David; Meijer, E. W.; Kemerink, Martijn

    2017-01-01

    Advanced molecular materials that combine two or more physical properties are typically constructed by combining different molecules, each being responsible for one of the properties required. Ideally, single molecules could take care of this combined functionality, provided they are self-assembled correctly and endowed with different functional subunits whose strong electronic coupling may lead to the emergence of unprecedented and exciting properties. We present a class of disc-like semiconducting organic molecules that are functionalized with strong dipolar side groups. Supramolecular organization of these materials provides long-range polar order that supports collective ferroelectric behavior of the side groups as well as charge transport through the stacked semiconducting cores. The ferroelectric polarization in these supramolecular polymers is found to couple to the charge transport and leads to a bulk conductivity that is both switchable and rectifying. An intuitive model is developed and found to quantitatively reproduce the experimental observations. In a larger perspective, these results highlight the possibility of modulating material properties using the large electric fields associated with ferroelectric polarization. PMID:28975150

  13. Ferroelectric switching of poly(vinylidene difluoride-trifluoroethylene) in metal-ferroelectric-semiconductor non-volatile memories with an amorphous oxide semiconductor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gelinck, G. H.; van Breemen, A. J. J. M.; Cobb, B.

    2015-03-01

    Ferroelectric polarization switching of poly(vinylidene difluoride-trifluoroethylene) is investigated in different thin-film device structures, ranging from simple capacitors to dual-gate thin-film transistors (TFT). Indium gallium zinc oxide, a high mobility amorphous oxide material, is used as semiconductor. We find that the ferroelectric can be polarized in both directions in the metal-ferroelectric-semiconductor (MFS) structure and in the dual-gate TFT under certain biasing conditions, but not in the single-gate thin-film transistors. These results disprove the common belief that MFS structures serve as a good model system for ferroelectric polarization switching in thin-film transistors.

  14. Negative capacitance in a ferroelectric capacitor.

    PubMed

    Khan, Asif Islam; Chatterjee, Korok; Wang, Brian; Drapcho, Steven; You, Long; Serrao, Claudy; Bakaul, Saidur Rahman; Ramesh, Ramamoorthy; Salahuddin, Sayeef

    2015-02-01

    The Boltzmann distribution of electrons poses a fundamental barrier to lowering energy dissipation in conventional electronics, often termed as Boltzmann Tyranny. Negative capacitance in ferroelectric materials, which stems from the stored energy of a phase transition, could provide a solution, but a direct measurement of negative capacitance has so far been elusive. Here, we report the observation of negative capacitance in a thin, epitaxial ferroelectric film. When a voltage pulse is applied, the voltage across the ferroelectric capacitor is found to be decreasing with time--in exactly the opposite direction to which voltage for a regular capacitor should change. Analysis of this 'inductance'-like behaviour from a capacitor presents an unprecedented insight into the intrinsic energy profile of the ferroelectric material and could pave the way for completely new applications.

  15. Towards multicaloric effect with ferroelectrics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Yang; Zhang, Guangzu; Li, Qi; Bellaiche, Laurent; Scott, James F.; Dkhil, Brahim; Wang, Qing

    2016-12-01

    Utilizing thermal changes in solid-state materials strategically offers caloric-based alternatives to replace current vapor-compression technology. To make full use of multiple forms of the entropy and achieve higher efficiency for designs of cooling devices, the multicaloric effect appears as a cutting-edge concept encouraging researchers to search for multicaloric materials with outstanding caloric properties. Here we report the multicaloric effect in BaTi O3 single crystals driven simultaneously by mechanical and electric fields and described via a thermodynamic phenomenological model. It is found that the multicaloric behavior is mainly dominated by the mechanical field rather than the electric field, since the paraelectric-to-ferroelectric transition is more sensitive to mechanical field than to electric field. The use of uniaxial stress competes favorably with pressure due to its much higher caloric strength and negligible elastic thermal change. It is revealed that multicaloric response can be significantly larger than just the sum of mechanocaloric and electrocaloric effects in temperature regions far above the Curie temperature but cannot exceed this limit near the Curie temperature. Our results also show the advantage of the multicaloric effect over the mechanically mediated electrocaloric effect or electrically mediated mechanocaloric effect. Our findings therefore highlight the importance of ferroelectric materials to develop multicaloric cooling.

  16. Ferroelectric domain wall motion induced by polarized light

    PubMed Central

    Rubio-Marcos, Fernando; Del Campo, Adolfo; Marchet, Pascal; Fernández, Jose F.

    2015-01-01

    Ferroelectric materials exhibit spontaneous and stable polarization, which can usually be reoriented by an applied external electric field. The electrically switchable nature of this polarization is at the core of various ferroelectric devices. The motion of the associated domain walls provides the basis for ferroelectric memory, in which the storage of data bits is achieved by driving domain walls that separate regions with different polarization directions. Here we show the surprising ability to move ferroelectric domain walls of a BaTiO3 single crystal by varying the polarization angle of a coherent light source. This unexpected coupling between polarized light and ferroelectric polarization modifies the stress induced in the BaTiO3 at the domain wall, which is observed using in situ confocal Raman spectroscopy. This effect potentially leads to the non-contact remote control of ferroelectric domain walls by light. PMID:25779918

  17. Scaling Effects in Perovskite Ferroelectrics: Fundamental Limits and Process-Structure-Property Relations

    DOE PAGES

    Ihlefeld, Jon F.; Harris, David T.; Keech, Ryan; ...

    2016-07-05

    Ferroelectric materials are well-suited for a variety of applications because they can offer a combination of high performance and scaled integration. Examples of note include piezoelectrics to transform between electrical and mechanical energies, capacitors used to store charge, electro-optic devices, and non-volatile memory storage. Accordingly, they are widely used as sensors, actuators, energy storage, and memory components, ultrasonic devices, and in consumer electronics products. Because these functional properties arise from a non-centrosymmetric crystal structure with spontaneous strain and a permanent electric dipole, the properties depend upon physical and electrical boundary conditions, and consequently, physical dimension. The change of properties withmore » decreasing physical dimension is commonly referred to as a size effect. In thin films, size effects are widely observed, while in bulk ceramics, changes in properties from the values of large-grained specimens is most notable in samples with grain sizes below several microns. It is important to note that ferroelectricity typically persists to length scales of about 10 nm, but below this point is often absent. Despite the stability of ferroelectricity for dimensions greater than ~10 nm, the dielectric and piezoelectric coefficients of scaled ferroelectrics are suppressed relative to their bulk counterparts, in some cases by changes up to 80%. The loss of extrinsic contributions (domain and phase boundary motion) to the electromechanical response accounts for much of this suppression. In this article the current understanding of the underlying mechanisms for this behavior in perovskite ferroelectrics are reviewed. We focus on the intrinsic limits of ferroelectric response, the roles of electrical and mechanical boundary conditions, grain size and thickness effects, and extraneous effects related to processing. Ultimately, in many cases, multiple mechanisms combine to produce the observed scaling

  18. Future Development of Dense Ferroelectric Memories for Space Applications

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Philpy, Stephen C.; Derbenwick, Gary F.

    2001-01-01

    The availability of high density, radiation tolerant, nonvolatile memories is critical for space applications. Ferroelectric memories, when fabricated with radiation hardened complementary metal oxide semiconductors (CMOS), can be manufactured and packaged to provide high density replacements for Flash memory, which is not radiation tolerant. Previous work showed ferroelectric memory cells to be resistant to single event upsets and proton irradiation, and ferroelectric storage capacitors to be resistant to neutron exposure. In addition to radiation hardness, the fast programming times, virtually unlimited endurance, and low voltage, low power operation make ferroelectric memories ideal for space missions. Previously, a commercial double level metal 64-kilobit ferroelectric memory was presented. Although the capabilities of radiation hardened wafer fabrication facilities lag behind those of the most modern commercial wafer fabrication facilities, several paths to achieving radiation tolerant, dense ferroelectric memories are emerging. Both short and long term solutions are presented in this paper. Although worldwide major semiconductor companies are introducing commercial ferroelectric memories, funding limitations must be overcome to proceed with the development of high density, radiation tolerant ferroelectric memories.

  19. High-temperature tunneling electroresistance in metal/ferroelectric/semiconductor tunnel junctions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xi, Zhongnan; Jin, Qiao; Zheng, Chunyan; Zhang, Yongcheng; Lu, Chaojing; Li, Qiang; Li, Shandong; Dai, Jiyan; Wen, Zheng

    2017-09-01

    Recently, ferroelectric tunnel junctions (FTJs) have attracted great attention due to promising applications in non-volatile memories. In this study, we report high-temperature tunneling electroresistance (TER) of metal/ferroelectric/semiconductor FTJs. Hysteretic resistance-voltage loops are observed in the Pt/BaTiO3/Nb:SrTiO3 tunnel junction from 300 to 513 K due to the modulation of interfacial Schottky barrier by polarization switching in the 4 u.c.-thick BaTiO3 barrier via a ferroelectric field effect. The Pt/BaTiO3/Nb:SrTiO3 device exhibits a giant ROFF/RON resistance ratio of ˜3 × 105 at 383 K and maintains bipolar resistance switching up to 513 K, suggesting excellent thermal endurance of the FTJs. The temperature-dependent TER behaviors are discussed in terms of the decrease of polarization in the BaTiO3 barrier, and the associated junction barrier profiles are deduced by transport and capacitance analyses. In addition, by extrapolating the retention time at elevated temperature in an Arrhenius-type relation, activation energy of ˜0.93 eV and room-temperature retention time of ˜70 years can be extracted.

  20. High Temperature Ferroelectrics for Actuators: Recent Developments and Challenges

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sehirlioglu, Alp; Kowalski, Benjamin

    2014-01-01

    A variety of piezoelectric applications have been driving the research in development of new high temperature ferroelectrics; ranging from broader markets such as fuel and gas modulation and deep well oil drilling to very specific applications such as thermoacoustic engines and ultrasonic drilling on the surface of Venus. The focus has been mostly on increasing the Curie temperature. However, greater challenges for high temperature ferroelectrics limit the operating temperature to levels much below the Curie temperature. These include enhanced loss tangent and dc conductivity at high fields as well as depoling due to thermally activated domain rotation. The initial work by Eitel et al. [Jpn. J. Appl. Phys., 40 [10, Part 1] 59996002 (2001)] increased interest in investigation of Bismuth containing perovskites in solid solution with lead titanate. Issues that arise vary from solubility limits to increased tetragonality; the former one prohibits processing of morphotropic phase boundary, while the latter one impedes thorough poling of the polycrystalline ceramics. This talk will summarize recent advances in development of high temperature piezoelectrics and provide information about challenges encountered as well as the approaches taken to improve the high temperature behavior of ferroelectrics with a focus on applications that employ the converse piezoelectric effect.

  1. Characterization Of Graphene-Ferroelectric Superlattice Hybrid Devices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yusuf, Mohammed; Du, Xu; Dawber, Matthew

    2013-03-01

    Ferroelectric materials possess a spontaneous electrical polarization, which can be controlled by an electric field. A good interface between ferroelectric surface and graphene sheets can introduce a new generation of multifunctional devices, in which the ferroelectric material can be used to control the properties of graphene. In our approach, problems encountered in previous efforts to combine ferroelectric/carbon systems are overcome by the use of artificially layered superlattice materials grown in the form of epitaxial thin films. In these materials the phase transition temperature and dielectric response of the material can be tailored, allowing us to avoid polarization screening by surface absorbates, whilst maintaining an atomically smooth surface and optimal charge doping properties. Using ferroelectric PbTiO3/SrTiO3 superlattices, we have shown ultra-low-voltage operation of graphene field effect devices within +/- 1 V at room temperature. The switching of the graphene field effect transistors is characterized by pronounced resistance hysteresis, suitable for ultra-fast non-volatile electronics. Low temperature characterization confirmed that the coercive field required for the ferroelectric domain switching increases significantly with decreasing temperatures. National Science Foundation (NSF) (grant number 1105202)

  2. Physics and Chemistry of Creating New Titanates with Perovskite Structure

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Politova, E. D.; Kaleva, G. M.; Golubko, N. V.; Mosunov, A. V.; Sadovskaya, N. V.; Bel'kova, D. A.; Strebkov, D. A.; Stefanovich, S. Yu.; Kiselev, D. A.; Kislyuk, A. M.

    2018-06-01

    The phase formation, structural features, and dielectric, ferroelectric, and piezoelectric properties of ceramics with compositions from the region of the morphotropic phase boundary in the (Na0.5Bi0.5)TiO3-BaTiO3-Bi(Mg0.5Ti0.5)O3 system modified by different low-melting additives (Bi2O3, V2O5, KCl, NaCl-LiF, LiF, CuO, and MnO2) are studied. First-order phase transitions are detected near 700-800 and 400 K that display relaxor behavior and are indicative of the presence of polar regions in a nonpolar matrix. Prospects for improving the piezoelectric properties of the modified ceramic samples are confirmed.

  3. Ferroelectric ceramics in a pyroelectric accelerator

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Shchagin, A. V., E-mail: shchagin@kipt.kharkov.ua; Belgorod State University, Belgorod 308015; Miroshnik, V. S.

    2015-12-07

    The applicability of polarized ferroelectric ceramics as a pyroelectric in a pyroelectric accelerator is shown by experiments. The spectra of X-ray radiation of energy up to tens of keV, generated by accelerated electrons, have been measured on heating and cooling of the ceramics in vacuum. It is suggested that curved layers of polarized ferroelectric ceramics be used as elements of ceramic pyroelectric accelerators. Besides, nanotubes and nanowires manufactured from ferroelectric ceramics are proposed for the use in nanometer-scale ceramic pyroelectric nanoaccelerators for future applications in nanotechnologies.

  4. General Nonlinear Ferroelectric Model v. Beta

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Dong, Wen; Robbins, Josh

    2017-03-14

    The purpose of this software is to function as a generalized ferroelectric material model. The material model is designed to work with existing finite element packages by providing updated information on material properties that are nonlinear and dependent on loading history. The two major nonlinear phenomena this model captures are domain-switching and phase transformation. The software itself does not contain potentially sensitive material information and instead provides a framework for different physical phenomena observed within ferroelectric materials. The model is calibrated to a specific ferroelectric material through input parameters provided by the user.

  5. Carrier Density Modulation in Ge Heterostructure by Ferroelectric Switching

    DOE PAGES

    Ponath, Patrick; Fredrickson, Kurt; Posadas, Agham B.; ...

    2015-01-14

    The development of nonvolatile logic through direct coupling of spontaneous ferroelectric polarization with semiconductor charge carriers is nontrivial, with many issues, including epitaxial ferroelectric growth, demonstration of ferroelectric switching, and measurable semiconductor modulation. Here we report a true ferroelectric field effect carrier density modulation in an underlying Ge(001) substrate by switching of the ferroelectric polarization in the epitaxial c-axis-oriented BaTiO3 (BTO) grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) on Ge. Using density functional theory, we demonstrate that switching of BTO polarization results in a large electric potential change in Ge. Aberration-corrected electron microscopy confirms the interface sharpness, and BTO tetragonality. Electron-energy-lossmore » spectroscopy (EELS) indicates the absence of any low permittivity interlayer at the interface with Ge. Using piezoelectric force microscopy (PFM), we confirm the presence of fully switchable, stable ferroelectric polarization in BTO that appears to be single domain. Using microwave impedance microscopy (MIM), we clearly demonstrate a ferroelectric field effect.« less

  6. Ferroelectric nanostructure having switchable multi-stable vortex states

    DOEpatents

    Naumov, Ivan I [Fayetteville, AR; Bellaiche, Laurent M [Fayetteville, AR; Prosandeev, Sergey A [Fayetteville, AR; Ponomareva, Inna V [Fayetteville, AR; Kornev, Igor A [Fayetteville, AR

    2009-09-22

    A ferroelectric nanostructure formed as a low dimensional nano-scale ferroelectric material having at least one vortex ring of polarization generating an ordered toroid moment switchable between multi-stable states. A stress-free ferroelectric nanodot under open-circuit-like electrical boundary conditions maintains such a vortex structure for their local dipoles when subject to a transverse inhomogeneous static electric field controlling the direction of the macroscopic toroidal moment. Stress is also capable of controlling the vortex's chirality, because of the electromechanical coupling that exists in ferroelectric nanodots.

  7. Characteristics of Radio-Frequency Circuits Utilizing Ferroelectric Capacitors

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Eskridge, Michael; Gui, Xiao; MacLeod, Todd; Ho, Fat D.

    2011-01-01

    Ferroelectric capacitors, most commonly used in memory circuits and variable components, were studied in simple analog radio-frequency circuits such as the RLC resonator and Colpitts oscillator. The goal was to characterize the RF circuits in terms of frequency of oscillation, gain, etc, using ferroelectric capacitors. Frequencies of oscillation of both circuits were measured and studied a more accurate resonant frequency can be obtained using the ferroelectric capacitors. Many experiments were conducted and data collected. A model to simulate the experimental results will be developed. Discrepancies in gain and frequency in these RF circuits when conventional capacitors are replaced with ferroelectric ones were studied. These results will enable circuit designers to anticipate the effects of using ferroelectric components in their radio- frequency applications.

  8. Multistate storage nonvolatile memory device based on ferroelectricity and resistive switching effects of SrBi2Ta2O9 films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Song, Zhiwei; Li, Gang; Xiong, Ying; Cheng, Chuanpin; Zhang, Wanli; Tang, Minghua; Li, Zheng; He, Jiangheng

    2018-05-01

    A memory device with a Pt/SrBi2Ta2O9(SBT)/Pt(111) structure was shown to have excellent combined ferroelectricity and resistive switching properties, leading to higher multistate storage memory capacity in contrast to ferroelectric memory devices. In this device, SBT polycrystalline thin films with significant (115) orientation were fabricated on Pt(111)/Ti/SiO2/Si(100) substrates using CVD (chemical vapor deposition) method. Measurement results of the electric properties exhibit reproducible and reliable ferroelectricity switching behavior and bipolar resistive switching effects (BRS) without an electroforming process. The ON/OFF ratio of the resistive switching was found to be about 103. Switching mechanisms for the low resistance state (LRS) and high resistance state (HRS) currents are likely attributed to the Ohmic and space charge-limited current (SCLC) behavior, respectively. Moreover, the ferroelectricity and resistive switching effects were found to be mutually independent, and the four logic states were obtained by controlling the periodic sweeping voltage. This work holds great promise for nonvolatile multistate memory devices with high capacity and low cost.

  9. Tensile strain effect in ferroelectric perovskite oxide thin films on spinel magnesium aluminum oxide substrate

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhou, Xiaolan

    Ferroelectrics are used in FeRAM (Ferroelectric random-access memory). Currently (Pb,Zr)TiO3 is the most common ferroelectric material. To get lead-free and high performance ferroelectric material, we investigated perovskite ferroelectric oxides (Ba,Sr)TiO3 and BiFeO3 films with strain. Compressive strain has been investigated intensively, but the effects of tensile strain on the perovskite films have yet to be explored. We have deposited (Ba,Sr)TiO3, BiFeO3 and related films by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) and analyzed the films by X-ray diffractometry (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), etc. To obtain inherently fully strained films, the selection of the appropriate substrates is crucial. MgAl2O4 matches best with good quality and size, yet the spinel structure has an intrinsic incompatibility to that of perovskite. We introduced a rock-salt structure material (Ni 1-xAlxO1+delta) as a buffer layer to mediate the structural mismatch for (Ba,Sr)TiO3 films. With buffer layer Ni1-xAlxO1+delta, we show that the BST films have high quality crystallization and are coherently epitaxial. AFM images show that the films have smoother surfaces when including the buffer layer, indicating an inherent compatibility between BST-NAO and NAO-MAO. In-plane Ferroelectricity measurement shows double hysteresis loops, indicating an antiferroelectric-like behavior: pinned ferroelectric domains with antiparallel alignments of polarization. The Curie temperatures of the coherent fully strained BST films are also measured. It is higher than 900°C, at least 800°C higher than that of bulk. The improved Curie temperature makes the use of BST as FeRAM feasible. We found that the special behaviors of ferroelectricity including hysteresis loop and Curie temperature are due to inherent fully tensile strain. This might be a clue of physics inside ferroelectric stain engineering. An out-of-plane ferroelectricity measurement would provide a full whole story of the tensile strain. However, a

  10. Compositional Design of Dielectric, Ferroelectric and Piezoelectric Properties of (K, Na)NbO₃ and (Ba, Na)(Ti, Nb)O₃ Based Ceramics Prepared by Different Sintering Routes.

    PubMed

    Eiras, José A; Gerbasi, Rosimeire B Z; Rosso, Jaciele M; Silva, Daniel M; Cótica, Luiz F; Santos, Ivair A; Souza, Camila A; Lente, Manuel H

    2016-03-08

    Lead free piezoelectric materials are being intensively investigated in order to substitute lead based ones, commonly used in many different applications. Among the most promising lead-free materials are those with modified NaNbO₃, such as (K, Na)NbO₃ (KNN) and (Ba, Na)(Ti, Nb)O₃ (BTNN) families. From a ceramic processing point of view, high density single phase KNN and BTNN ceramics are very difficult to sinter due to the volatility of the alkaline elements, the narrow sintering temperature range and the anomalous grain growth. In this work, Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) and high-energy ball milling (HEBM), following heat treatments (calcining and sintering), in oxidative (O₂) atmosphere have been used to prepare single phase highly densified KNN ("pure" and Cu 2+ or Li 1+ doped), with theoretical densities ρ th > 97% and BTNN ceramics (ρ th - 90%), respectively. Using BTTN ceramics with a P 4 mm perovskite-like structure, we showed that by increasing the NaNbO₃ content, the ferroelectric properties change from having a relaxor effect to an almost "normal" ferroelectric character, while the tetragonality and grain size increase and the shear piezoelectric coefficients ( k 15 , g 15 and d 15 ) improve. For KNN ceramics, the results reveal that the values for remanent polarization as well as for most of the coercive field are quite similar among all compositions. These facts evidenced that Cu 2+ may be incorporated into the A and/or B sites of the perovskite structure, having both hardening and softening effects.

  11. Photoluminescence and electrical characterization of unfilled tetragonal tungsten bronze Ba{sub 4}La{sub 1−x}Eu{sub x}TiNb{sub 9}O{sub 30}

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Wei, T., E-mail: weitong.nju@gmail.com; Wang, Y.Q.; Zhao, C.Z.

    Graphical abstract: PL spectra of the unfilled TTB structure BLTN: Eu{sup 3+}x samples (x = 0.00, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, and 1.00) excited by 399 nm. The inset is a schematic diagram of the unfilled TTB structure. - Highlights: • Unfilled TTB structure BLTN: Eu{sup 3+}x ceramics have been synthesized. • Photoluminescenct properties of the BLTN: Eu{sup 3+}x ceramics have been first reported. • Bright red emission excited by NUV light has been observed at room temperature. • Obvious variations of dielectric characteristics have been confirmed. • Relaxor-like ferroelectric phase transitions have been detected. - Abstract: Unfilled tetragonal tungsten bronze (TTB)more » structure Ba{sub 4}LaTiNb{sub 9}O{sub 30} doped by Eu{sup 3+} (BLTN: Eu{sup 3+}x) with different x have been prepared, and their structural, photoluminescence, dielectric, and ferroelectric properties are carefully investigated in this work. Bright red emission, originating from {sup 5}D{sub 0} → {sup 7}F{sub 1} and {sup 5}D{sub 0} → {sup 7}F{sub 2} transitions of Eu{sup 3+} ions, has been observed by naked eyes at room temperature under near ultraviolet (NUV) light excitation. Optimized emission intensity is obtained when x = 1.00 for present unfilled TTB-type BLTN: Eu{sup 3+}x samples. Furthermore, with increasing x, the dielectric and ferroelectric characteristics of the unfilled TTB-type BLTN: Eu{sup 3+}x samples also display remarkable variation. When x ≥ 0.50 relaxor-like ferroelectric phase transitions are detected above room temperature, it is believed that unfilled TTB-type BLTN: Eu{sup 3+}x = 1.00 involving bright photoluminescence and enhanced ferroelectric properties may act as a potentially multifunctional optical-electro material.« less

  12. Solution-Processed Flexible Organic Ferroelectric Phototransistor.

    PubMed

    Zhao, Qiang; Wang, Hanlin; Jiang, Lang; Zhen, Yonggang; Dong, Huanli; Hu, Wenping

    2017-12-20

    In this article, we demonstrate ferroelectric insulator, P(VDF-TrFE), can be integrated with red light sensitive polymeric semiconductor, P(DPP-TzBT), toward ferroelectric organic phototransistors (OPTs). This ferroelectricity-modulated phototransistor possesses different nonvolatile and tunable dark current states due to P(VDF-TrFE)'s remnant polarization. As a result, the OPT is endowed with a tunable dark current level ranging from 1 nA to 100 nA. Once the OPT is programmed or electrically polarized, its photo-to-dark (signal-to-noise) ratio can be "flexible" during photodetection process, without gate bias application. This kind of organic ferroelectric phototransistor has great potential in detecting wide ranges of light signals with good linearity. Moreover, its tuning mechanism discussed in this work can be helpful to understand the operation mechanism of organic phototransistor (OPT). It can be promising for novel photodetection application in plastic electronic devices.

  13. HS-SPM Mapping of Ferroelectric Domain Dynamics with Combined Nanoscale and Nanosecond Resolution

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Polomoff, Nicholas Alexander

    different stress states will have a dramatic effect upon the polarization reversal process, domain nucleation and growth dynamics, as well as the device's overall performance. It is the aim of the research presented in this dissertation to leverage the superior lateral and temporal resolution of the HSPFM technique to observe the influence that a variety of different variables have upon polarization reversal and dynamic ferroelectric domain behavior in attempt to propose conventions in which such variables can be employed for the development of high functioning and overall better operating ferroelectric based devices.

  14. Development and characterization of a ferroelectric non-volatile memory for flexible electronics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mao, Duo

    Flexible electronics have received significant attention recently because of the potential applications in displays, sensors, radio frequency identification (RFID) tags and other integrated circuits. Electrically addressable non-volatile memory is a key component for these applications. The major challenges are to fabricate the memory at a low temperature compatible with plastic substrates while maintaining good device reliability, by being compatible with process as needed to integrate with other electronic components for system-on-chip applications. In this work, ferroelectric capacitors fabricated at low temperature were developed. Based on that, a ferroelectric random access memory (FRAM) for flexible electronics was developed and characterized. Poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene) [P(VDF-TrFE)] copolymer was used as a ferroelectric material and a photolithographic process was developed to fabricate ferroelectric capacitors. Different characterization methods including atomic force microscopy, x-ray diffraction and Fourier-transform infrared reflection-absorption spectroscopy were used to study the material properties of the P(VDF-TrFE) film. The material properties were correlated with the electrical characteristics of the ferroelectric capacitors. To understand the polarization switching behavior of the P(VDF-TrFE) ferroelectric capacitors, a Nucleation-Limited-Switching (NLS) model was used to study the switching kinetics. The switching kinetics were characterized over the temperature range from -60 °C to 100 °C. Fatigue characteristics were studied at different electrical stress voltages and frequencies to evaluate the reliability of the ferroelectric capacitor. The degradation mechanism is attributed to the increase of the activation field and the suppression of the switchable polarization. To develop a FRAM circuit for flexible electronics, an n-channel thin film transistor (TFT) based on CdS as the semiconductor was integrated with a P

  15. Enhanced energy harvesting in commercial ferroelectric materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Patel, Satyanarayan; Chauhan, Aditya; Vaish, Rahul

    2014-04-01

    Ferroelectric materials are used in a number of applications ranging from simple sensors and actuators to ferroelectric random access memories (FRAMs), transducers, health monitoring system and microelectronics. The multiphysical coupling ability possessed by these materials has been established to be useful for energy harvesting applications. However, conventional energy harvesting techniques employing ferroelectric materials possess low energy density. This has prevented the successful commercialization of ferroelectric based energy harvesting systems. In this context, the present study aims at proposing a novel approach for enhanced energy harvesting using commercially available ferroelectric materials. This technique was simulated to be used for two commercially available piezoelectric materials namely PKI-552 and APCI-840, soft and hard lead-zirconate-titanate (PZT) pervoskite ceramics, respectively. It was observed that a maximum energy density of 348 kJm-3cycle-1 can be obtained for cycle parameters of (0-1 ton compressive stress and 1-25 kV.cm-1 electric field) using APCI-840. The reported energy density is several hundred times larger than the maximum energy density reported in the literature for vibration harvesting systems.

  16. Robust ferroelectricity in two-dimensional SbN and BiP.

    PubMed

    Liu, Chang; Wan, Wenhui; Ma, Jie; Guo, Wei; Yao, Yugui

    2018-05-03

    Based on first-principles calculations, we discover two new two-dimensional (2D) ferroelectric materials SbN and BiP. Both of them are stable in a phosphorene-like structure and maintain their ferroelectricity above room temperature. Till date, SbN has the largest in-plane spontaneous polarization of about 7.81 × 10-10 C m-1 ever found in 2D ferroelectric materials, and it can retain its ferroelectricity until melting at about 1700 K. The spontaneous polarizations and switching barriers can easily be tuned by strains. Additionally, the ferroelectricity can still be maintained in their multilayers. These advantages make SbN and BiP promising candidate materials for future integrated ferroelectric devices.

  17. Shock induced phase transitions and current generation in ferroelectric ceramics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Agrawal, Vinamra; Bhattacharya, Kaushik

    2017-06-01

    Ferroelectric materials are used as ferroelectric generators to obtain pulsed power by subjecting them to a shock loading. The impact induces a phase transition and at high impact speeds, dielectric breakdown. Depending on the loading conditions and the electromechanical boundary conditions, the current or voltage profiles obtained vary. We explore the phenomenon of large deformation dynamic behavior and the associated electro-thermo-mechanical coupling of ferroelectric materials in adiabatic environments. Using conservation laws, Maxwell's equations and second law of thermodynamics, we obtain a set of governing equations for the material and the driving force acting on the propagating phase boundary. We also account for the possibility of surface charges on the phase boundary in case of dielectric breakdown which introduces contribution of curvature of the phase boundary in the equations. Next, the governing equations are used to solve a plate impact problem. The Helmholtz energy of the material is chosen be a combination of piecewise quadratic potential in polarization and thermo-elastic material capable of undergoing phase transformation. We obtain current profiles for short circuit boundary conditions along with strain, particle velocity and temperature maps. US AFOSR through Center of Excellence in High Rate Deformation of Heterogeneous Materials FA 9550-12-1-0091.

  18. Complex Electric-Field Induced Phenomena in Ferroelectric/Antiferroelectric Nanowires

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Herchig, Ryan Christopher

    Perovskite ferroelectrics and antiferroelectrics have attracted a lot of attention owing to their potential for device applications including THz sensors, solid state cooling, ultra high density computer memory, and electromechanical actuators to name a few. The discovery of ferroelectricity at the nanoscale provides not only new and exciting possibilities for device miniaturization, but also a way to study the fundamental physics of nanoscale phenomena in these materials. Ferroelectric nanowires show a rich variety of physical characteristics which are advantageous to the design of nanoscale ferroelectric devices such as exotic dipole patterns, a strong dependence of the polarization and phonon frequencies on the electrical and mechanical boundary conditions, as well as a dependence of the transition temperatures on the diameter of the nanowire. Antiferroelectricity also exists at the nanoscale and, due to the proximity in energy of the ferroelectric and antiferroelectric phases, a phase transition from the ferroelectric to the antiferroelectric phase can be facilitated through the application of the appropriate mechanical and electrical boundary conditions. While much progress has been made over the past several decades to understand the nature of ferroelectricity/antiferroelectricity in nanowires, many questions remain unanswered. In particular, little is known about how the truncated dimensions affect the soft mode frequency dynamics or how various electrical and mechanical boundary conditions might change the nature of the phase transitions in these ferroelectric nanowires. Could nanowires offer a distinct advantage for solid state cooling applications? Few studies have been done to elucidate the fundamental physics of antiferroelectric nanowires. How the polarization in ferroelectric nanowires responds to a THz electric field remains relatively underexplored as well. In this work, the aim is to to develop and use computational tools that allow first

  19. Field-induced polarization rotation and phase transitions in 0.70 Pb ( M g 1 / 3 N b 2 / 3 ) O 3 – 0.30 PbTi O 3 piezoceramics observed by in situ high-energy x-ray scattering

    DOE PAGES

    Hou, Dong; Usher, Tedi -Marie; Fulanovic, Lovro; ...

    2018-06-12

    Changes to the crystal structure of 0.70Pb(Mg 1/3Nb 2/3)O 3–0.30PbTiO 3 (PMN-0.30PT) piezoceramic under application of electric fields at the long-range and local scale are revealed by in situ high-energy x-ray diffraction (XRD) and pair-distribution function (PDF) analyses, respectively. The crystal structure of unpoled samples is identified as monoclinic Cm at both the long-range and local scale. In situ XRD results suggest that field-induced polarization rotation and phase transitions occur at specific field strengths. A polarization rotation pathway is proposed based on the Bragg-peak behaviors and the Le Bail fitting results of the in situ XRD patterns. The PDF resultsmore » show systematic changes to the structures at the local scale, which is in agreement with the changes inferred from the in situ XRD study. More importantly, our results prove that polarization rotation can be detected and determined in a polycrystalline relaxor ferroelectric. Furthermore, this study supports the idea that multiple contributions, specifically ferroelectric-ferroelectric phase transition and polarization rotation, are responsible for the high piezoelectric properties at the morphotropic phase boundary of PMN-xPT piezoceramics.« less

  20. Field-induced polarization rotation and phase transitions in 0.70 Pb ( M g 1 / 3 N b 2 / 3 ) O 3 – 0.30 PbTi O 3 piezoceramics observed by in situ high-energy x-ray scattering

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hou, Dong; Usher, Tedi -Marie; Fulanovic, Lovro

    Changes to the crystal structure of 0.70Pb(Mg 1/3Nb 2/3)O 3–0.30PbTiO 3 (PMN-0.30PT) piezoceramic under application of electric fields at the long-range and local scale are revealed by in situ high-energy x-ray diffraction (XRD) and pair-distribution function (PDF) analyses, respectively. The crystal structure of unpoled samples is identified as monoclinic Cm at both the long-range and local scale. In situ XRD results suggest that field-induced polarization rotation and phase transitions occur at specific field strengths. A polarization rotation pathway is proposed based on the Bragg-peak behaviors and the Le Bail fitting results of the in situ XRD patterns. The PDF resultsmore » show systematic changes to the structures at the local scale, which is in agreement with the changes inferred from the in situ XRD study. More importantly, our results prove that polarization rotation can be detected and determined in a polycrystalline relaxor ferroelectric. Furthermore, this study supports the idea that multiple contributions, specifically ferroelectric-ferroelectric phase transition and polarization rotation, are responsible for the high piezoelectric properties at the morphotropic phase boundary of PMN-xPT piezoceramics.« less

  1. Field-induced polarization rotation and phase transitions in 0.70 Pb (M g1 /3N b2 /3 ) O3-0.30 PbTi O3 piezoceramics observed by in situ high-energy x-ray scattering

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hou, Dong; Usher, Tedi-Marie; Fulanovic, Lovro; Vrabelj, Marko; Otonicar, Mojca; Ursic, Hana; Malic, Barbara; Levin, Igor; Jones, Jacob L.

    2018-06-01

    Changes to the crystal structure of 0.70 Pb (M g1 /3N b2 /3 ) O3-0.30 PbTi O3 (PMN-0.30PT) piezoceramic under application of electric fields at the long-range and local scale are revealed by in situ high-energy x-ray diffraction (XRD) and pair-distribution function (PDF) analyses, respectively. The crystal structure of unpoled samples is identified as monoclinic C m at both the long-range and local scale. In situ XRD results suggest that field-induced polarization rotation and phase transitions occur at specific field strengths. A polarization rotation pathway is proposed based on the Bragg-peak behaviors and the Le Bail fitting results of the in situ XRD patterns. The PDF results show systematic changes to the structures at the local scale, which is in agreement with the changes inferred from the in situ XRD study. More importantly, our results prove that polarization rotation can be detected and determined in a polycrystalline relaxor ferroelectric. This study supports the idea that multiple contributions, specifically ferroelectric-ferroelectric phase transition and polarization rotation, are responsible for the high piezoelectric properties at the morphotropic phase boundary of PMN-x PT piezoceramics.

  2. Probing the effects of defects on ferroelectricity in ferroelectric thin films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhu, Lin

    Ferroelectric materials have been intensively studied due to their interesting properties such as piezoelectricity, ferroelectricity including spontaneous polarization, remnant polarization, hysteresis loop, and etc. In this study, effects of defects, thickness, and temperature on ferroelectric stability, hysteresis loop, and phase transition in ferroelectric thin films have been investigated using molecular dynamics simulations with first-principles effective Hamiltonian. Various types of defects are considered including oxygen vacancy, hydrogen contamination, and dead layer. We first study the effects of oxygen vacancy on ferroelectricity in PbTiO3 (PTO) thin films. An oxygen vacancy has been modeled as a +2q charged point defect which generates local strain and electrostatic fields. Atomic displacements induced by an oxygen vacancy were obtained by first-principles calculations and the corresponding strain field was fitted with elastic continuum model of a point defect. The obtained local strain and electrostatic fields are the inputs to the molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. We limited the oxygen vacancies in the interfacial layers between the film and electrodes. Oxygen vacancies reduce the spontaneous polarization and significantly increase the critical thickness below which the spontaneous polarization disappears. With the presence of oxygen vacancy only at one interface layer, PTO film exhibits asymmetric hysteresis loop which is consistent with experimental observations about the imprint effect. In the heating-up and cooling-down processes, oxygen vacancies weaken the phase transitions, but contribute tension along the thickness direction at high temperature. First-principles calculations are performed to determine the possible position, formation energy, and mobility of the interstitial hydrogen atom, and the calculated results are used as inputs to MD simulations in a large system. The hydrogen atom is able to move within one unit cell with small

  3. On the relationship between field cycling and imprint in ferroelectric Hf0.5Zr0.5O2

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fengler, F. P. G.; Hoffmann, M.; Slesazeck, S.; Mikolajick, T.; Schroeder, U.

    2018-05-01

    Manifold research has been done to understand the detailed mechanisms behind the performance instabilities of ferroelectric capacitors based on hafnia. The wake-up together with the imprint might be the most controversially discussed phenomena so far. Among crystallographic phase change contributions and oxygen vacancy diffusion, electron trapping as the origin has been discussed recently. In this publication, we provide evidence that the imprint is indeed caused by electron trapping into deep states at oxygen vacancies. This impedes the ferroelectric switching and causes a shift of the hysteresis. Moreover, we show that the wake-up mechanism can be caused by a local imprint of the domains in the pristine state by the very same root cause. The various domain orientations together with an electron trapping can cause a constriction of the hysteresis and an internal bias field in the pristine state. Additionally, we show that this local imprint can even cause almost anti-ferroelectric like behavior in ferroelectric films.

  4. One‐Dimensional Ferroelectric Nanostructures: Synthesis, Properties, and Applications

    PubMed Central

    Liang, Longyue; Kang, Xueliang

    2016-01-01

    One‐dimensional (1D) ferroelectric nanostructures, such as nanowires, nanorods, nanotubes, nanobelts, and nanofibers, have been studied with increasing intensity in recent years. Because of their excellent ferroelectric, ferroelastic, pyroelectric, piezoelectric, inverse piezoelectric, ferroelectric‐photovoltaic (FE‐PV), and other unique physical properties, 1D ferroelectric nanostructures have been widely used in energy‐harvesting devices, nonvolatile random access memory applications, nanoelectromechanical systems, advanced sensors, FE‐PV devices, and photocatalysis mechanisms. This review summarizes the current state of 1D ferroelectric nanostructures and provides an overview of the synthesis methods, properties, and practical applications of 1D nanostructures. Finally, the prospects for future investigations are outlined. PMID:27812477

  5. Ferroelectric infrared detector and method

    DOEpatents

    Lashley, Jason Charles; Opeil, Cyril P.; Smith, James Lawrence

    2010-03-30

    An apparatus and method are provided for sensing infrared radiation. The apparatus includes a sensor element that is positioned in a magnetic field during operation to ensure a .lamda. shaped relationship between specific heat and temperature adjacent the Curie temperature of the ferroelectric material comprising the sensor element. The apparatus is operated by inducing a magnetic field on the ferroelectric material to reduce surface charge on the element during its operation.

  6. Patterned piezo-, pyro-, and ferroelectricity of poled polymer electrets

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Qiu, Xunlin

    2010-07-01

    Polymers with strong piezo-, pyro-, and ferroelectricity are attractive for a wide range of applications. In particular, semicrystalline ferroelectric polymers are suitable for a large variety of piezo- and pyroelectric transducers or sensors, while amorphous polymers containing chromophore molecules are particularly interesting for photonic devices. Recently, a new class of polymer materials has been added to this family: internally charged cellular space-charge polymer electrets (so-called “ferroelectrets”), whose piezoelectricity can be orders of magnitude higher than that of conventional ferroelectric polymers. Suitable patterning of these materials leads to improved or unusual macroscopic piezo-, pyro-, and ferroelectric or nonlinear optical properties thatmore » may be particularly useful for advanced transducer or waveguide applications. In the present paper, the piezo-, pyro-, and ferroelectricity of poled polymers is briefly introduced, an overview on the preparation of polymer electrets with patterned piezo-, pyro-, and ferroelectricity is provided and a survey of selected applications is presented.« less

  7. Geometric shape control of thin film ferroelectrics and resulting structures

    DOEpatents

    McKee, Rodney A.; Walker, Frederick J.

    2000-01-01

    A monolithic crystalline structure and a method of making involves a semiconductor substrate, such as silicon, and a ferroelectric film, such as BaTiO.sub.3, overlying the surface of the substrate wherein the atomic layers of the ferroelectric film directly overlie the surface of the substrate. By controlling the geometry of the ferroelectric thin film, either during build-up of the thin film or through appropriate treatment of the thin film adjacent the boundary thereof, the in-plane tensile strain within the ferroelectric film is relieved to the extent necessary to permit the ferroelectric film to be poled out-of-plane, thereby effecting in-plane switching of the polarization of the underlying substrate material. The method of the invention includes the steps involved in effecting a discontinuity of the mechanical restraint at the boundary of the ferroelectric film atop the semiconductor substrate by, for example, either removing material from a ferroelectric film which has already been built upon the substrate, building up a ferroelectric film upon the substrate in a mesa-shaped geometry or inducing the discontinuity at the boundary by ion beam deposition techniques.

  8. Compositional Design of Dielectric, Ferroelectric and Piezoelectric Properties of (K, Na)NbO3 and (Ba, Na)(Ti, Nb)O3 Based Ceramics Prepared by Different Sintering Routes

    PubMed Central

    Eiras, José A.; Gerbasi, Rosimeire B. Z.; Rosso, Jaciele M.; Silva, Daniel M.; Cótica, Luiz F.; Santos, Ivair A.; Souza, Camila A.; Lente, Manuel H.

    2016-01-01

    Lead free piezoelectric materials are being intensively investigated in order to substitute lead based ones, commonly used in many different applications. Among the most promising lead-free materials are those with modified NaNbO3, such as (K, Na)NbO3 (KNN) and (Ba, Na)(Ti, Nb)O3 (BTNN) families. From a ceramic processing point of view, high density single phase KNN and BTNN ceramics are very difficult to sinter due to the volatility of the alkaline elements, the narrow sintering temperature range and the anomalous grain growth. In this work, Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) and high-energy ball milling (HEBM), following heat treatments (calcining and sintering), in oxidative (O2) atmosphere have been used to prepare single phase highly densified KNN (“pure” and Cu2+ or Li1+ doped), with theoretical densities ρth > 97% and BTNN ceramics (ρth ~ 90%), respectively. Using BTTN ceramics with a P4mm perovskite-like structure, we showed that by increasing the NaNbO3 content, the ferroelectric properties change from having a relaxor effect to an almost “normal” ferroelectric character, while the tetragonality and grain size increase and the shear piezoelectric coefficients (k15, g15 and d15) improve. For KNN ceramics, the results reveal that the values for remanent polarization as well as for most of the coercive field are quite similar among all compositions. These facts evidenced that Cu2+ may be incorporated into the A and/or B sites of the perovskite structure, having both hardening and softening effects. PMID:28773304

  9. Texture and anisotropy in ferroelectric lead metaniobate

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Iverson, Benjamin John

    Ferroelectric lead metaniobate, PbNb2O6, is a piezoelectric ceramic typically used because of its elevated Curie temperature and anisotropic properties. However, the piezoelectric constant, d33, is relatively low in randomly oriented ceramics when compared to other ferroelectrics. Crystallographic texturing is often employed to increase the piezoelectric constant because the spontaneous polarization axes of grains are better aligned. In this research, crystallographic textures induced through tape casting are distinguished from textures induced through electrical poling. Texture is described using multiple quantitative approaches utilizing X-ray and neutron time-of-flight diffraction. Tape casting lead metaniobate with an inclusion of acicular template particles induces an orthotropic texture distribution. Templated grain growth from seed particles oriented during casting results in anisotropic grain structures. The degree of preferred orientation is directly linked to the shear behavior of the tape cast slurry. Increases in template concentration, slurry viscosity, and casting velocity lead to larger textures by inducing more particle orientation in the tape casting plane. The maximum 010 texture distributions were two and a half multiples of a random distribution. Ferroelectric texture was induced by electrical poling. Electric poling increases the volume of material oriented with the spontaneous polarization direction in the material. Samples with an initial paraelectric texture exhibit a greater change in the domain volume fraction during electrical poling than randomly oriented ceramics. In tape cast samples, the resulting piezoelectric response is proportional to the 010 texture present prior to poling. This results in property anisotropy dependent on initial texture. Piezoelectric properties measured on the most textured ceramics were similar to those obtained with a commercial standard.

  10. Ferroelectrics: A pathway to switchable surface chemistry and catalysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kakekhani, Arvin; Ismail-Beigi, Sohrab; Altman, Eric I.

    2016-08-01

    It has been known for more than six decades that ferroelectricity can affect a material's surface physics and chemistry thereby potentially enhancing its catalytic properties. Ferroelectrics are a class of materials with a switchable electrical polarization that can affect surface stoichiometry and electronic structure and thus adsorption energies and modes; e.g., molecular versus dissociative. Therefore, ferroelectrics may be utilized to achieve switchable surface chemistry whereby surface properties are not fixed but can be dynamically controlled by, for example, applying an external electric field or modulating the temperature. Several important examples of applications of ferroelectric and polar materials in photocatalysis and heterogeneous catalysis are discussed. In photocatalysis, the polarization direction can control band bending at water/ferroelectric and ferroelectric/semiconductor interfaces, thereby facilitating charge separation and transfer to the electrolyte and enhancing photocatalytic activity. For gas-surface interactions, available results suggest that using ferroelectrics to support catalytically active transition metals and oxides is another way to enhance catalytic activity. Finally, the possibility of incorporating ferroelectric switching into the catalytic cycle itself is described. In this scenario, a dynamic collaboration of two polarization states can be used to drive reactions that have been historically challenging to achieve on surfaces with fixed chemical properties (e.g., direct NOx decomposition and the selective partial oxidation of methane). These predictions show that dynamic modulation of the polarization can help overcome some of the fundamental limitations on catalytic activity imposed by the Sabatier principle.

  11. Implementation of Ferroelectric Memories for Space Applications

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Philpy, Stephen C.; Derbenwick, Gary F.; Kamp, David A.; Isaacson, Alan F.

    2000-01-01

    Ferroelectric random access semiconductor memories (FeRAMs) are an ideal nonvolatile solution for space applications. These memories have low power performance, high endurance and fast write times. By combining commercial ferroelectric memory technology with radiation hardened CMOS technology, nonvolatile semiconductor memories for space applications can be attained. Of the few radiation hardened semiconductor manufacturers, none have embraced the development of radiation hardened FeRAMs, due a limited commercial space market and funding limitations. Government funding may be necessary to assure the development of radiation hardened ferroelectric memories for space applications.

  12. Static Characteristics of the Ferroelectric Transistor Inverter

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mitchell, Cody; Laws, crystal; MacLeond, Todd C.; Ho, Fat D.

    2010-01-01

    The inverter is one of the most fundamental building blocks of digital logic, and it can be used as the foundation for understanding more complex logic gates and circuits. This paper presents the characteristics of an inverter circuit using a ferroelectric field-effect transistor. The voltage transfer characteristics are analyzed with respect to varying parameters such as supply voltage, input voltage, and load resistance. The effects of the ferroelectric layer between the gate and semiconductor are examined, and comparisons are made between the inverters using ferroelectric transistors and those using traditional MOSFETs.

  13. Ferroelectric control of metal-insulator transition

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    He, Xu; Jin, Kui-juan; Ge, Chen; Ma, Zhong-shui; Yang, Guo-zhen

    2016-03-01

    We propose a method of controlling the metal-insulator transition of one perovskite material at its interface with another ferroelectric material based on first principle calculations. The operating principle is that the rotation of oxygen octahedra tuned by the ferroelectric polarization can modulate the superexchange interaction in this perovskite. We designed a tri-color superlattice of (BiFeO3)N/LaNiO3/LaTiO3, in which the BiFeO3 layers are ferroelectric, the LaNiO3 layer is the layer of which the electronic structure is to be tuned, and LaTiO3 layer is inserted to enhance the inversion asymmetry. By reversing the ferroelectric polarization in this structure, there is a metal-insulator transition of the LaNiO3 layer because of the changes of crystal field splitting of the Ni eg orbitals and the bandwidth of the Ni in-plane eg orbital. It is highly expected that a metal-transition can be realized by designing the structures at the interfaces for more materials.

  14. Ferroelectric control of a Mott insulator

    PubMed Central

    Yamada, Hiroyuki; Marinova, Maya; Altuntas, Philippe; Crassous, Arnaud; Bégon-Lours, Laura; Fusil, Stéphane; Jacquet, Eric; Garcia, Vincent; Bouzehouane, Karim; Gloter, Alexandre; Villegas, Javier E.; Barthélémy, Agnès; Bibes, Manuel

    2013-01-01

    The electric field control of functional properties is an important goal in oxide-based electronics. To endow devices with memory, ferroelectric gating is interesting, but usually weak compared to volatile electrolyte gating. Here, we report a very large ferroelectric field-effect in perovskite heterostructures combining the Mott insulator CaMnO3 and the ferroelectric BiFeO3 in its “supertetragonal” phase. Upon polarization reversal of the BiFeO3 gate, the CaMnO3 channel resistance shows a fourfold variation around room temperature, and a tenfold change at ~200 K. This is accompanied by a carrier density modulation exceeding one order of magnitude. We have analyzed the results for various CaMnO3 thicknesses and explain them by the electrostatic doping of the CaMnO3 layer and the presence of a fixed dipole at the CaMnO3/BiFeO3 interface. Our results suggest the relevance of ferroelectric gates to control orbital- or spin-ordered phases, ubiquitous in Mott systems, and pave the way toward efficient Mott-tronics devices. PMID:24089020

  15. Electrostatic micromotor based on ferroelectric ceramics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Baginsky, I. L.; Kostsov, E. G.

    2004-11-01

    A new electrostatic micromotor is described that utilizes the electromechanical energy conversion principle earlier described by the authors. The electromechanical energy conversion is based on reversible electrostatic rolling of thin metallic films (petals) on a ferroelectric surface. The motor's active media are layers of ferroelectric ceramics (about 100 µm in thickness). The characteristics of the electrostatic rolling of the petals on different ceramic surfaces are studied, as well as the dynamic characteristics of the micromotors. It is shown that the use of antiferroelectric material allows one to reach a specific energy capacitance comparable to that of the micromotors based on ferroelectric films and to achieve a specific power of 30-300 µW mm-2.

  16. Ultrathin Ferroelectric Films: Growth, Characterization, Physics and Applications.

    PubMed

    Wang, Ying; Chen, Weijin; Wang, Biao; Zheng, Yue

    2014-09-11

    Ultrathin ferroelectric films are of increasing interests these years, owing to the need of device miniaturization and their wide spectrum of appealing properties. Recent advanced deposition methods and characterization techniques have largely broadened the scope of experimental researches of ultrathin ferroelectric films, pushing intensive property study and promising device applications. This review aims to cover state-of-the-art experimental works of ultrathin ferroelectric films, with a comprehensive survey of growth methods, characterization techniques, important phenomena and properties, as well as device applications. The strongest emphasis is on those aspects intimately related to the unique phenomena and physics of ultrathin ferroelectric films. Prospects and challenges of this field also have been highlighted.

  17. Ultrathin Ferroelectric Films: Growth, Characterization, Physics and Applications

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Ying; Chen, Weijin; Wang, Biao; Zheng, Yue

    2014-01-01

    Ultrathin ferroelectric films are of increasing interests these years, owing to the need of device miniaturization and their wide spectrum of appealing properties. Recent advanced deposition methods and characterization techniques have largely broadened the scope of experimental researches of ultrathin ferroelectric films, pushing intensive property study and promising device applications. This review aims to cover state-of-the-art experimental works of ultrathin ferroelectric films, with a comprehensive survey of growth methods, characterization techniques, important phenomena and properties, as well as device applications. The strongest emphasis is on those aspects intimately related to the unique phenomena and physics of ultrathin ferroelectric films. Prospects and challenges of this field also have been highlighted. PMID:28788196

  18. Ferroelectric BaTiO3 and LiNbO3 Nanoparticles Dispersed in Ferroelectric Liquid Crystal Mixtures: Electrooptic and Dielectric (Postprint)

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-10-14

    Nematic Liquid Crystals allowing for rapidly changing moving pictures during the time frame below about 5-10 ms. Ferroelectric Liquid Crystals (FLCs...could fill this gap bearing some advantages over Nematic Liquid Crystals , mainly a fast switching time in the microsecond range, better optical...AFRL-RX-WP-JA-2017-0210 FERROELECTRIC BaTiO3 AND LiNbO3 NANOPARTICLES DISPERSED IN FERROELECTRIC LIQUID CRYSTAL MIXTURES: ELECTROOPTIC

  19. Design of a Multi-Level/Analog Ferroelectric Memory Device

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    MacLeod, Todd C.; Phillips, Thomas A.; Ho, Fat D.

    2006-01-01

    Increasing the memory density and utilizing the dove1 characteristics of ferroelectric devices is important in making ferroelectric memory devices more desirable to the consumer. This paper describes a design that allows multiple levels to be stored in a ferroelectric based memory cell. It can be used to store multiple bits or analog values in a high speed nonvolatile memory. The design utilizes the hysteresis characteristic of ferroelectric transistors to store an analog value in the memory cell. The design also compensates for the decay of the polarization of the ferroelectric material over time. This is done by utilizing a pair of ferroelectric transistors to store the data. One transistor is used as a reference to determine the amount of decay that has occurred since the pair was programmed. The second transistor stores the analog value as a polarization value between zero and saturated. The design allows digital data to be stored as multiple bits in each memory cell. The number of bits per cell that can be stored will vary with the decay rate of the ferroelectric transistors and the repeatability of polarization between transistors. It is predicted that each memory cell may be able to store 8 bits or more. The design is based on data taken from actual ferroelectric transistors. Although the circuit has not been fabricated, a prototype circuit is now under construction. The design of this circuit is different than multi-level FLASH or silicon transistor circuits. The differences between these types of circuits are described in this paper. This memory design will be useful because it allows higher memory density, compensates for the environmental and ferroelectric aging processes, allows analog values to be directly stored in memory, compensates for the thermal and radiation environments associated with space operations, and relies only on existing technologies.

  20. Downscaling ferroelectric field effect transistors by using ferroelectric Si-doped HfO2

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Martin, Dominik; Yurchuk, Ekaterina; Müller, Stefan; Müller, Johannes; Paul, Jan; Sundquist, Jonas; Slesazeck, Stefan; Schlösser, Till; van Bentum, Ralf; Trentzsch, Martin; Schröder, Uwe; Mikolajick, Thomas

    2013-10-01

    Throughout the 22 nm technology node HfO2 is established as a reliable gate dielectric in contemporary complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology. The working principle of ferroelectric field effect transistors FeFET has also been demonstrated for some time for dielectric materials like Pb[ZrxTi1-x]O3 and SrBi2Ta2O9. However, integrating these into contemporary downscaled CMOS technology nodes is not trivial due to the necessity of an extremely thick gate stack. Recent developments have shown HfO2 to have ferroelectric properties, given the proper doping. Moreover, these doped HfO2 thin films only require layer thicknesses similar to the ones already in use in CMOS technology. This work will show how the incorporation of Si induces ferroelectricity in HfO2 based capacitor structures and finally demonstrate non-volatile storage in nFeFETs down to a gate length of 100 nm. A memory window of 0.41 V can be retained after 20,000 switching cycles. Retention can be extrapolated to 10 years.

  1. Quinuclidinium salt ferroelectric thin-film with duodecuple-rotational polarization-directions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    You, Yu-Meng; Tang, Yuan-Yuan; Li, Peng-Fei; Zhang, Han-Yue; Zhang, Wan-Ying; Zhang, Yi; Ye, Heng-Yun; Nakamura, Takayoshi; Xiong, Ren-Gen

    2017-04-01

    Ferroelectric thin-films are highly desirable for their applications on energy conversion, data storage and so on. Molecular ferroelectrics had been expected to be a better candidate compared to conventional ferroelectric ceramics, due to its simple and low-cost film-processability. However, most molecular ferroelectrics are mono-polar-axial, and the polar axes of the entire thin-film must be well oriented to a specific direction to realize the macroscopic ferroelectricity. To align the polar axes, an orientation-controlled single-crystalline thin-film growth method must be employed, which is complicated, high-cost and is extremely substrate-dependent. In this work, we discover a new molecular ferroelectric of quinuclidinium periodate, which possesses six-fold rotational polar axes. The multi-axes nature allows the thin-film of quinuclidinium periodate to be simply prepared on various substrates including flexible polymer, transparent glasses and amorphous metal plates, without considering the crystallinity and crystal orientation. With those benefits and excellent ferroelectric properties, quinuclidinium periodate shows great potential in applications like wearable devices, flexible materials, bio-machines and so on.

  2. Manipulation of polar order in the “empty” tetragonal tungsten bronzes: Ba{sub 4-x}Sr{sub x}Dy{sub 0.67}□{sub 1.33}Nb{sub 10}O{sub 30}, x = 0, 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, 3

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Gardner, Jonathan; Morrison, Finlay D., E-mail: finlay.morrison@st-andrews.ac.uk

    2016-08-15

    A series of “empty” tetragonal tungsten bronze (TTB) ferroelectrics, Ba{sub 4-x}Sr{sub x}Dy{sub 0.67}□{sub 1.33}Nb{sub 10}O{sub 30} (x = 0, 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, 3; □ = vacancy), is reported. With increasing x the unit cell contracts in both the ab plane and c-axis; x ≤ 1 compounds are normal ferroelectrics (FE) with decreasing T{sub C} as x increases, while x ≥ 2 are relaxor ferroelectrics (RFE) with associated frequency dependent permittivity peaks and with similar T{sub m} and T{sub f} (Vogel-Fulcher freezing temperatures) values. This observation is rationalised by differing cation occupancies: for x ≤ 1, Sr{sup 2+} principally occupies the A2-site (co-occupied by Ba{sup 2+} with the A1-site occupiedmore » by Dy{sup 3+} and vacancies); for x ≥ 2 significant Sr A1-site occupation leads to the observed RFE characteristics. This FE to RFE crossover is consistent with a previously proposed TTB crystal chemical framework where both a decrease in average A-site size and concurrent increase in A1-site tolerance factor (t{sub A1}) favour destabilization of long range polar order and relaxor behaviour. The effect of increasing t{sub A1} as a result of Sr occupancy at the A1 site is dominant in the compounds reported here.« less

  3. Multi Resonance Shear Mode Transducers

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-11-21

    burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing...ABSTRACT Crystallographic engineering of single crystal relaxor-based ferroelectrics was used to design broadband, compact, high power, low frequency...using multiple d36 crystal geometries or combinations of d36 and other crystal cuts. 15. SUBJECT TERMS 16. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: 17

  4. Laser Fabrication of Polymer Ferroelectric Nanostructures for Nonvolatile Organic Memory Devices.

    PubMed

    Martínez-Tong, Daniel E; Rodríguez-Rodríguez, Álvaro; Nogales, Aurora; García-Gutiérrez, Mari-Cruz; Pérez-Murano, Francesc; Llobet, Jordi; Ezquerra, Tiberio A; Rebollar, Esther

    2015-09-09

    Polymer ferroelectric laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) have been prepared on ferroelectric thin films of a poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene) copolymer. Although this copolymer does not absorb light at the laser wavelength, LIPSS on the copolymer can be obtained by forming a bilayer with other light-absorbing polymers. The ferroelectric nature of the structured bilayer was proven by piezoresponse force microscopy measurements. Ferroelectric hysteresis was found on both the bilayer and the laser-structured bilayer. We show that it is possible to write ferroelectric information at the nanoscale. The laser-structured ferroelectric bilayer showed an increase in the information storage density of an order of magnitude, in comparison to the original bilayer.

  5. Terahertz dielectric response of ferroelectric Ba(x)Sr(1-x)TiO3 thin films.

    PubMed

    Kang, Seung Beom; Kwak, Min Hwan; Choi, Muhan; Kim, Sungil; Kim, Taeyong; Cha, Eun Jong; Kang, Kwang Yong

    2011-11-01

    Terahertz time-domain spectroscopy has been used to investigate the dielectric and optical properties of ferroelectric Ba(x)Sr(1-x)TiO(3) thin films for nominal x-values of 0.4, 0.6, and 0.8 in the frequency range of 0.3 to 2.5 THz. The ferroelectric thin films were deposited at approximately 700 nm thickness on [001] MgO substrate by pulsed laser deposition. The measured complex dielectric and optical constants were compared with the Cole-Cole relaxation model. The results show that the Cole-Cole relaxation model fits well with the data throughout the frequency range and the dielectric relaxation behavior of ferroelectric Ba(x)Sr(1-x)TiO(3) thin films varies with the films compositions. Among the compositions of Ba(x)Sr(1-x)TiO(3) films with different Ba/Sr ratios, Ba(0.6)Sr(0.4)TiO(3) has the highest dielectric constants and the shortest dielectric relaxation time.

  6. Ferroelectricity in high-density H 2O ice

    DOE PAGES

    Caracas, Razvan; Hemley, Russell J.

    2015-04-01

    The origin of longstanding anomalies in experimental studies of the dense solid phases of H 2O ices VII, VIII, and X is examined using a combination of first-principles theoretical methods. We find that a ferroelectric variant of ice VIII is energetically competitive with the established antiferroelectric form under pressure. The existence of domains of the ferroelectric form within anti-ferroelectric ice can explain previously observed splittings in x-ray diffraction data. The ferroelectric form is stabilized by density and is accompanied by the onset of spontaneous polarization. Here, the presence of local electric fields triggers the preferential parallel orientation of the watermore » molecules in the structure, which could be stabilized in bulk using new high-pressure techniques.« less

  7. Phase-field modeling of chemical control of polarization stability and switching dynamics in ferroelectric thin films

    DOE PAGES

    Cao, Ye; Kalinin, Sergei V.

    2016-12-15

    Phase-field simulation (PFS) has revolutionized the understanding of domain structure and switching behavior in ferroelectric thin films and ceramics. Generally, PFS is based on the solution of (a set of) Landau-Ginzburg-Devonshire equations for a defined order parameter field(s) under physical boundary conditions (BCs) of fixed potential or charge. While well matched to the interfaces in bulk materials and devices, these BCs are generally not applicable to free ferroelectric surfaces. Here, we developed a self-consistent phase-field model with BCs based on electrochemical equilibria. We chose Pb(Zr 0.2Ti 0.8)O 3 ultrathin film consisting of (001) oriented single tetragonal domain ( Pz) asmore » a model system and systematically studied the effects of oxygen partial pressure, temperature, and surface ions on the ferroelectric state and compared it with the case of complete screening. We have further explored the polarization switching induced by the oxygen partial pressure and observed pronounced size effect induced by chemical screening. Finally, our paper thus helps to understand the emergent phenomena in ferroelectric thin films brought about by the electrochemical ionic surface compensations.« less

  8. Phase-field modeling of chemical control of polarization stability and switching dynamics in ferroelectric thin films

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Cao, Ye; Kalinin, Sergei V.

    Phase-field simulation (PFS) has revolutionized the understanding of domain structure and switching behavior in ferroelectric thin films and ceramics. Generally, PFS is based on the solution of (a set of) Landau-Ginzburg-Devonshire equations for a defined order parameter field(s) under physical boundary conditions (BCs) of fixed potential or charge. While well matched to the interfaces in bulk materials and devices, these BCs are generally not applicable to free ferroelectric surfaces. Here, we developed a self-consistent phase-field model with BCs based on electrochemical equilibria. We chose Pb(Zr 0.2Ti 0.8)O 3 ultrathin film consisting of (001) oriented single tetragonal domain ( Pz) asmore » a model system and systematically studied the effects of oxygen partial pressure, temperature, and surface ions on the ferroelectric state and compared it with the case of complete screening. We have further explored the polarization switching induced by the oxygen partial pressure and observed pronounced size effect induced by chemical screening. Finally, our paper thus helps to understand the emergent phenomena in ferroelectric thin films brought about by the electrochemical ionic surface compensations.« less

  9. Topological phase transformations and intrinsic size effects in ferroelectric nanoparticles

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Mangeri, John; Espinal, Yomery; Jokisaari, Andrea M.

    Here, composite materials comprised of ferroelectric nanoparticles in a dielectric matrix are being actively investigated for a variety of functional properties attractive for a wide range of novel electronic and energy harvesting devices. However, the dependence of these functionalities on shapes, sizes, orientation and mutual arrangement of ferroelectric particles is currently not fully understood. In this study, we utilize a time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau approach combined with coupled-physics finite-element-method based simulations to elucidate the behavior of polarization in isolated spherical PbTiO 3 or BaTiO 3 nanoparticles embedded in a dielectric medium, including air. The equilibrium polarization topology is strongly affected by particlemore » diameter, as well as the choice of inclusion and matrix materials, with monodomain, vortex-like and multidomain patterns emerging for various combinations of size and materials parameters. This leads to radically different polarization vs electric field responses, resulting in highly tunable size-dependent dielectric properties that should be possible to observe experimentally. Our calculations show that there is a critical particle size below which ferroelectricity vanishes. For the PbTiO 3 particle, this size is 2 and 3.4 nm, respectively, for high- and low-permittivity media. For the BaTiO 3 particle, it is ~3.6 nm regardless of the medium dielectric strength.« less

  10. Topological phase transformations and intrinsic size effects in ferroelectric nanoparticles

    DOE PAGES

    Mangeri, John; Espinal, Yomery; Jokisaari, Andrea M.; ...

    2017-01-06

    Here, composite materials comprised of ferroelectric nanoparticles in a dielectric matrix are being actively investigated for a variety of functional properties attractive for a wide range of novel electronic and energy harvesting devices. However, the dependence of these functionalities on shapes, sizes, orientation and mutual arrangement of ferroelectric particles is currently not fully understood. In this study, we utilize a time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau approach combined with coupled-physics finite-element-method based simulations to elucidate the behavior of polarization in isolated spherical PbTiO 3 or BaTiO 3 nanoparticles embedded in a dielectric medium, including air. The equilibrium polarization topology is strongly affected by particlemore » diameter, as well as the choice of inclusion and matrix materials, with monodomain, vortex-like and multidomain patterns emerging for various combinations of size and materials parameters. This leads to radically different polarization vs electric field responses, resulting in highly tunable size-dependent dielectric properties that should be possible to observe experimentally. Our calculations show that there is a critical particle size below which ferroelectricity vanishes. For the PbTiO 3 particle, this size is 2 and 3.4 nm, respectively, for high- and low-permittivity media. For the BaTiO 3 particle, it is ~3.6 nm regardless of the medium dielectric strength.« less

  11. Unravelling and controlling hidden imprint fields in ferroelectric capacitors

    PubMed Central

    Liu, Fanmao; Fina, Ignasi; Bertacco, Riccardo; Fontcuberta, Josep

    2016-01-01

    Ferroelectric materials have a spontaneous polarization that can point along energetically equivalent, opposite directions. However, when ferroelectric layers are sandwiched between different metallic electrodes, asymmetric electrostatic boundary conditions may induce the appearance of an electric field (imprint field, Eimp) that breaks the degeneracy of the polarization directions, favouring one of them. This has dramatic consequences on functionality of ferroelectric-based devices such as ferroelectric memories or photodetectors. Therefore, to cancel out the Eimp, ferroelectric components are commonly built using symmetric contact configuration. Indeed, in this symmetric contact configuration, when measurements are done under time-varying electric fields of relatively low frequency, an archetypical symmetric single-step switching process is observed, indicating Eimp ≈ 0. However, we report here on the discovery that when measurements are performed at high frequency, a well-defined double-step switching is observed, indicating the presence of Eimp. We argue that this frequency dependence originates from short-living head-to-head or tail-to-tail ferroelectric capacitors in the device. We demonstrate that we can modulate Eimp and the life-time of head-to-head or tail-to-tail polarization configurations by adjusting the polarization screening charges by suitable illumination. These findings are of relevance to understand the effects of internal electric fields on pivotal ferroelectric properties, such as memory retention and photoresponse. PMID:27122309

  12. Solvent-Dependent Delamination, Restacking, and Ferroelectric Behavior in a New Charge-Separated Layered Compound: [NH4 ][Ag3 (C9 H5 NO4 S)2 (C13 H14 N2 )2 ]⋅8 H2 O.

    PubMed

    Sushrutha, Sringeri Ramesh; Mohana, Shivanna; Pal, Somnath; Natarajan, Srinivasan

    2017-01-03

    A new anionic coordination polymer, [NH 4 ][Ag 3 (C 9 H 5 NO 4 S) 2 (C 13 H 14 N 2 ) 2 ]⋅8 H 2 O, with a two-dimensional structure, has been synthesized by a reaction between silver nitrate, 8-hydroxyquinoline-5-sulfonic acid (HQS), and 4,4'-trimethylene dipyridine (TMDP). The compound stabilizes in a noncentrosymmetric space group, and the lattice water molecules and the charge-compensating [NH 4 ] + group occupy the inter-lamellar spaces. The lattice water molecules can be fully removed and reinserted, which is accompanied by a crystalline-amorphous-crystalline transformation. This transformation resembles the collapse/delamination and restacking of the layers. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first observation of delamination and restacking in an inorganic coordination polymer that contains silver. The presence of a natural dipole (the anionic framework and cationic ammonium ions) along with the noncentrosymmetric space group gives rise to the room-temperature ferroelectric behavior of the compound. The ferroelectric behavior is also water-dependent and exhibits a ferroelectric-paraelectric transformation. The temperature-dependent dielectric measurements indicate that the ferroelectric/ paraelectric transformation occurs at 320 K. This transformation has also been investigated by using in-situ IR spectroscopy and PXRD studies. The second-harmonic generation (SHG) study indicated values that are comparable to some of the known SHG solids, such as potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KDP) and urea. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  13. The effects of layering in ferroelectric Si-doped HfO{sub 2} thin films

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lomenzo, Patrick D.; Nishida, Toshikazu, E-mail: nishida@ufl.edu; Takmeel, Qanit

    2014-08-18

    Atomic layer deposited Si-doped HfO{sub 2} thin films approximately 10 nm thick are deposited with various Si-dopant concentrations and distributions. The ferroelectric behavior of the HfO{sub 2} thin films are shown to be dependent on both the Si mol. % and the distribution of Si-dopants. Metal-ferroelectric-insulator-semiconductor capacitors are shown to exhibit a tunable remanent polarization through the adjustment of the Si-dopant distribution at a constant Si concentration. Inhomogeneous layering of Si-dopants within the thin films effectively lowers the remanent polarization. A pinched hysteresis loop is observed for higher Si-dopant concentrations and found to be dependent on the Si layering distribution.

  14. Low temperature dielectric relaxation in ordinary perovskite ferroelectrics: enlightenment from high-energy x-ray diffraction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ochoa, D. A.; Levit, R.; Fancher, C. M.; Esteves, G.; Jones, J. L.; E García, J.

    2017-05-01

    Ordinary ferroelectrics exhibit a second order phase transition that is characterized by a sharp peak in the dielectric permittivity at a frequency-independent temperature. Furthermore, these materials show a low temperature dielectric relaxation that appears to be a common behavior of perovskite systems. Tetragonal lead zirconate titanate is used here as a model system in order to explore the origin of such an anomaly, since there is no consensus about the physical phenomenon involved in it. Crystallographic and domain structure studies are performed from temperature dependent synchrotron x-ray diffraction measurement. Results indicate that the dielectric relaxation cannot be associated with crystallographic or domain configuration changes. The relaxation process is then parameterized by using the Vogel-Fulcher-Tammann phenomenological equation. Results allow us to hypothesize that the observed phenomenon is due to changes in the dynamic behavior of the ferroelectric domains related to the fluctuation of the local polarization.

  15. Studies of ferroelectric and dielectric properties of pure and doped barium titanate prepared by sol-gel method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bisen, Supriya; Mishra, Ashutosh; Jarabana, Kanaka M.

    2016-05-01

    In this work, Barium Titanate (BaTiO3) powders were synthesized via Sol-Gel auto combustion method using citric acid as a chelating agent. We study the behavior of ferroelectric and dielectric properties of pure and doped BaTiO3 on different concentration. To understand the phase and structure of the powder calcined at 900°C were characterized by X-ray Diffraction shows that tetragonal phase is dominant for pure and doped BTO and data fitted by Rietveld Refinement. Electric and Dielectric properties were characterized by P-E Hysteresis and Dielectric measurement. In P-E measurement ferroelectric loop tracer applied for different voltage. The temperature dependant dielectric constant behavior was observed as a function of frequency recorded on hp-Hewlett Packard 4192A, LF impedance, 5Hz-13Hz analyzer.

  16. A hybrid ferroelectric-flash memory cells

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Park, Jae Hyo; Byun, Chang Woo; Seok, Ki Hwan; Kim, Hyung Yoon; Chae, Hee Jae; Lee, Sol Kyu; Son, Se Wan; Ahn, Donghwan; Joo, Seung Ki

    2014-09-01

    A ferroelectric-flash (F-flash) memory cells having a metal-ferroelectric-nitride-oxynitride-silicon structure are demonstrated, and the ferroelectric materials were perovskite-dominated Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 (PZT) crystallized by Pt gate electrode. The PZT thin-film as a blocking layer improves electrical and memorial performance where programming and erasing mechanism are different from the metal-ferroelectric-insulator-semiconductor device or the conventional silicon-oxide-nitride-oxide-silicon device. F-flash cells exhibit not only the excellent electrical transistor performance, having 442.7 cm2 V-1 s-1 of field-effect mobility, 190 mV dec-1 of substhreshold slope, and 8 × 105 on/off drain current ratio, but also a high reliable memory characteristics, having a large memory window (6.5 V), low-operating voltage (0 to -5 V), faster P/E switching speed (50/500 μs), long retention time (>10 years), and excellent fatigue P/E cycle (>105) due to the boosting effect, amplification effect, and energy band distortion of nitride from the large polarization. All these characteristics correspond to the best performances among conventional flash cells reported so far.

  17. Ultrahigh density ferroelectric storage and lithography by high order ferroic switching

    DOEpatents

    Kalinin, Sergei V.; Baddorf, Arthur P.; Lee, Ho Nyung; Shin, Junsoo; Gruverman, Alexei L.; Karapetian, Edgar; Kachanov, Mark

    2007-11-06

    A method for switching the direction of polarization in a relatively small domain in a thin-film ferroelectric material whose direction of polarization is oriented normal to the surface of the material involves a step of moving an electrically-chargeable tip into contact with the surface of the ferroelectric material so that the direction of polarization in a region adjacent the tip becomes oriented in a preselected direction relative to the surface of the ferroelectric material. The tip is then pressed against the surface of the ferroelectric material so that the direction of polarization of the ferroelectric material within the area of the ferroelectric material in contact with the tip is reversed under the combined effect of the compressive influence of the tip and electric bias.

  18. Intrinsic space charge layers and field enhancement in ferroelectric nanojunctions

    DOE PAGES

    Cao, Ye; Ievlev, Anton V.; Morozovska, Anna N.; ...

    2015-07-13

    The conducting characteristics of topological defects in the ferroelectric materials, such as charged domain walls in ferroelectric materials, engendered broad interest and extensive study on their scientific merit and the possibility of novel applications utilizing domain engineering. At the same time, the problem of electron transport in ferroelectrics themselves still remains full of unanswered questions, and becomes still more relevant over the impending revival of interest in ferroelectric semiconductors and new improper ferroelectric materials. We have employed self-consistent phase-field modeling to investigate the physical properties of a local metal-ferroelectric (Pb(Zr 0.2Ti 0.8)O3) junction in applied electric field. We revealed anmore » up to 10-fold local field enhancement realized by large polarization gradient and over-polarization effects once the inherent non-linear dielectric properties of PZT are considered. The effect is independent of bias polarity and maintains its strength prior, during and after ferroelectric switching. The local field enhancement can be considered equivalent to increase of doping level, which will give rise to reduction of the switching bias and significantly smaller voltages to charge injection and electronic injection, electrochemical and photoelectrochemical processes.« less

  19. Ferroelectric and multiferroic domain imaging by Laser-induced photoemission microscopy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hoefer, Anke; Fechner, Michael; Duncker, Klaus; Mertig, Ingrid; Widdra, Wolf

    2013-03-01

    The ferroelectric as well as multiferroic surface domain structures of BaTiO3(001) and BiFeO3(001) are imaged based on photoemission electron microscopy (PEEM) by femtosecond laser threshold excitation under UHV conditions. For well-prepared BaTiO3(001), three ferroelectric domain types are clearly discriminable due to work function differences. At room temperature, the surface domains resemble the known ferroelectric domain structure of the bulk. Upon heating above the Curie point of 400 K, the specific surface domain pattern remains up to 500 K. Ab-initio calculations explain this observation by a remaining tetragonal distortion of the topmost unit cells stabilized by a surface relaxation. The (001) surface of the single-phase multiferroic BiFeO3 which is ferroelectric and antiferromagnetic, shows clear ferroelectric work function contrast in PEEM. Additionally, the multiferroic domains show significant linear dichroism. The observation of a varying dichroism for different ferroelectric domains can be explained based on the coupled ferroelectric-antiferromagnetic order in BiFeO3. It demonstrates multiferroic imaging of different domain types within a single, lab-based experiment.

  20. Low-voltage operation of Si-based ferroelectric field effect transistors using organic ferroelectrics, poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene), as a gate dielectric

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Miyata, Yusuke; Yoshimura, Takeshi; Ashida, Atsushi; Fujimura, Norifumi

    2016-04-01

    Si-based metal-ferroelectric-semiconductor (MFS) capacitors have been fabricated using poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene) [P(VDF-TrFE)] as a ferroelectric gate. The pinhole-free P(VDF-TrFE) thin films with high resistivity were able to be prepared by spin-coating directly onto hydrogen-terminated Si. The capacitance-voltage (C-V) characteristics of the ferroelectric gate field effect transistor (FeFET) using this MFS structure clearly show butterfly-shaped hysteresis originating from the ferroelectricity, indicating carrier modulation on the Si surface at gate voltages below 2 V. The drain current-gate voltage (I D-V G) characteristics also show counterclockwise hysteresis at gate voltages below 5 V. This is the first report on the low-voltage operation of a Si-based FeFET using P(VDF-TrFE) as a gate dielectric. This organic gate FeFET without any insulator layer at the ferroelectric/Si interface should be one of the promising devices for overcoming the critical issues of the FeFET, such as depolarization field and a decrease in the gate voltage.

  1. Ferroelectric-like hysteresis loop originated from non-ferroelectric effects

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kim, Bora; Seol, Daehee; Lee, Shinbuhm

    Piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) has provided advanced nanoscale understanding and analysis of ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties. In PFM-based studies, electromechanical strain induced by the converse piezoelectric effect is probed and analyzed as a PFM response. However, electromechanical strain can also arise from several non-piezoelectric origins that may lead to a misinterpretation of the observed response. Among them, electrostatic interaction can significantly affect the PFM response. Nonetheless, previous studies explored solely the influence of electrostatic interaction on the PFM response under the situation accompanied with polarization switching. Here, we show the influence of the electrostatic interaction in the absence of polarizationmore » switching by using unipolar voltage sweep. The obtained results reveal that the electromechanical neutralization between piezoresponse of polarization and electrostatic interaction plays a crucial role in the observed ferroelectric-like hysteresis loop despite the absence of polarization switching. Furthermore, our work can provide a basic guideline for the correct interpretation of the hysteresis loop in PFM-based studies.« less

  2. Ferroelectric-like hysteresis loop originated from non-ferroelectric effects

    DOE PAGES

    Kim, Bora; Seol, Daehee; Lee, Shinbuhm; ...

    2016-09-06

    Piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) has provided advanced nanoscale understanding and analysis of ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties. In PFM-based studies, electromechanical strain induced by the converse piezoelectric effect is probed and analyzed as a PFM response. However, electromechanical strain can also arise from several non-piezoelectric origins that may lead to a misinterpretation of the observed response. Among them, electrostatic interaction can significantly affect the PFM response. Nonetheless, previous studies explored solely the influence of electrostatic interaction on the PFM response under the situation accompanied with polarization switching. Here, we show the influence of the electrostatic interaction in the absence of polarizationmore » switching by using unipolar voltage sweep. The obtained results reveal that the electromechanical neutralization between piezoresponse of polarization and electrostatic interaction plays a crucial role in the observed ferroelectric-like hysteresis loop despite the absence of polarization switching. Furthermore, our work can provide a basic guideline for the correct interpretation of the hysteresis loop in PFM-based studies.« less

  3. Bilayered Hybrid Perovskite Ferroelectric with Giant Two-Photon Absorption.

    PubMed

    Li, Lina; Shang, Xiaoying; Wang, Sasa; Dong, Ningning; Ji, Chengmin; Chen, Xueyuan; Zhao, Sangen; Wang, Jun; Sun, Zhihua; Hong, Maochun; Luo, Junhua

    2018-06-06

    Perovskite ferroelectrics with prominent nonlinear optical absorption have attracted great attention in the field of photonics. However, they are traditionally dominated by inorganic oxides and exhibit relatively small nonlinear optical absorption coefficients, which hinder their further applications. Herein, we report a new organic-inorganic hybrid bilayered perovskite ferroelectric, (C 4 H 9 NH 3 ) 2 (NH 2 CHNH 2 )Pb 2 Br 7 (1), showing an above-room-temperature Curie temperature (∼322 K) and notable spontaneous polarization (∼3.8 μC cm -2 ). Significantly, the unique quantum-well structure of 1 results in intriguing two-photon absorption properties with a giant nonlinear optical absorption coefficient as high as 5.76 × 10 3 cm GW -1 , which is almost two-orders of magnitude larger than those of mostly traditional all-inorganic perovskite ferroelectrics. To our best knowledge, 1 is the first example of hybrid ferroelectrics with giant two-photon absorption coefficient. The mechanisms for ferroelectric and two-photon absorption are revealed. This work will shed light on the design of new ferroelectrics with two-photon absorption and promote their potentials in the photonic application.

  4. An Automated Ab Initio Framework for Identifying New Ferroelectrics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Smidt, Tess; Reyes-Lillo, Sebastian E.; Jain, Anubhav; Neaton, Jeffrey B.

    Ferroelectric materials have a wide-range of technological applications including non-volatile RAM and optoelectronics. In this work, we present an automated first-principles search for ferroelectrics. We integrate density functional theory, crystal structure databases, symmetry tools, workflow software, and a custom analysis toolkit to build a library of known and proposed ferroelectrics. We screen thousands of candidates using symmetry relations between nonpolar and polar structure pairs. We use two search strategies 1) polar-nonpolar pairs with the same composition and 2) polar-nonpolar structure type pairs. Results are automatically parsed, stored in a database, and accessible via a web interface showing distortion animations and plots of polarization and total energy as a function of distortion. We benchmark our results against experimental data, present new ferroelectric candidates found through our search, and discuss future work on expanding this search methodology to other material classes such as anti-ferroelectrics and multiferroics.

  5. Electroactive fluorinate-based polymers: Ferroelectric and dielectric properties

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Yu Zhi; Chen Ang; Department of Physics and Department of Chemistry, University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 44325

    2004-12-15

    The dielectric, ferroelectric, and electroactive strain behavior of poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene) copolymers and poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene-chlorotrifluoroethylene) terpolymers is studied in a wide temperature and frequency range. The dielectric response from two dielectric polarization processes, modes A(A{sup '}) and B, and the dielectric-background contribution can be identified for these polymers by using the Cole-Cole plot method. Therefore physically reasonable parameters are obtained by fitting the relaxation time to the Vogel-Fulcher relation. On the other hand, the dielectric relaxation step and high strain decrease simultaneously with decreasing temperature; this indicates that the dielectric relaxation process and high strain behavior are strongly correlated. The electron-irradiationmore » effect in copolymers and the monomer effect in terpolymers are discussed.« less

  6. Interface control of bulk ferroelectric polarization

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Yu, P; Luo, Weidong; Yi, D.

    2012-01-01

    The control of material interfaces at the atomic level has led to no- vel interfacial properties and functionalities. In particular, the study of polar discontinuities at interfaces between complex oxides lies at the frontier of modern condensed matter research. Here we em- ploy a combination of experimental measurements and theoretical calculations to demonstrate the control of a bulk property, namely ferroelectric polarization, of a heteroepitaxial bilayer by precise atomic-scale interface engineering. More specifically, the control is achieved by exploiting the interfacial valence mismatch to influence the electrostatic potential step across the interface, which manifests itself as the biased-voltage in ferroelectricmore » hysteresis loops and determines the ferroelectric state. A broad study of diverse systems comprising different ferroelectrics and conducting perovskite un- derlayers extends the generality of this phenomenon.« less

  7. FAST TRACK COMMUNICATION: Interlayer exchange coupling across a ferroelectric barrier

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhuravlev, M. Ye; Vedyayev, A. V.; Tsymbal, E. Y.

    2010-09-01

    A new magnetoelectric effect is predicted originating from the interlayer exchange coupling between two ferromagnetic layers separated by an ultrathin ferroelectric barrier. It is demonstrated that ferroelectric polarization switching driven by an external electric field leads to a sizable change in the interlayer exchange coupling. The effect occurs in asymmetric ferromagnet/ferroelectric/ferromagnet junctions due to a change in the electrostatic potential profile across the junction affecting the interlayer coupling. The predicted phenomenon indicates the possibility of switching the magnetic configuration by reversing the polarization of the ferroelectric barrier layer.

  8. Study of the structure and ferroelectric behavior of BaBi4-xLaxTi4O15 ceramics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Khokhar, Anita; Goyal, Parveen K.; Thakur, O. P.; Sreenivas, K.

    2015-06-01

    The structure and ferroelectric properties of Lanthanum substituted barium bismuth titanate BaBi4-xLaxTi4O15 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.5) ceramics prepared by solid-state reaction method have been investigated. X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirms the formation of a single phase material. The distribution of lanthanum into the perovskite layers and (Bi2O2)2+ layers of BaBi4Ti4O15 ceramics have been revealed through Raman spectroscopy. At lower value of x, it is seen that La3+ ions prefer to substitute A-site Bi3+ ions in the perovskite layers while for higher x values, La3+ ions get incorporated into the (Bi2O2)2+ layers. A critical La content of x ˜ 0.2 in BaBi4-xLaxTi4O15 is seen to exhibit a large remnant polarization (Pr) with low coercive field (Ec). The improvement in the ferroelectric properties of La substituted BaBi4Ti4O15 ceramics has been explained in terms of changing oxygen vacancy concentration and structural relaxation. Tunable ferroelectric materials can be obtained by manipulating the doping amount of lanthanum ion.

  9. Ferroelectric memory evaluation and development system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bondurant, David W.

    Attention is given to the Ramtron FEDS-1, an IBM PC/AT compatible single-board 16-b microcomputer with 8-kbyte program/data memory implemented with nonvolatile ferroelectric dynamic RAM. This is the first demonstration of a new type of solid state nonvolatile read/write memory, the ferroelectric RAM (FRAM). It is suggested that this memory technology will have a significant impact on avionics system performance and reliability.

  10. Measurement of Ferroelectric Films in MFM and MFIS Structures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Anderson, Jackson D.

    For many years ferroelectric memory has been used in applications requiring low power, yet mainstream adoption has been stifled due to integration and scaling issues. With the renewed interest in these devices due to the recent discovery of ferroelectricity in HfO2, it is imperative that the properties of these films are well understood. To aid that end, a ferroelectric analysis package has been developed and released on GitHub and PyPI under a creative commons non-commercial share-alike license. This package contains functions for visualization and analysis of data from polarization, leakage current, and FORC measurements as well as basic modeling capability. Functionality is verified via the analysis of lead zirconate titanate (PZT) capacitors, where a multi-domain simulation based on an experimental Preisach density shows decent agreement despite measurement noise. The package is then used in the analysis of ferroelectric HfO2 films deposited in metal-ferroelectric-metal (MFM) and metal-ferroelectric-insulator-semiconductor (MFIS) stacks. 13.5 nm HfO2 films deposited on a semiconductor surface are shown to have a coercive voltage of 2.5 V, rather than the 1.9 V of the film in an MFM stack. This value further increases to 3-5 V when a lightly doped semiconductor depletion and inversion capacitance is added to the stack. The magnitude of this change is more than can be accounted for from the 10% voltage drop across the interfacial oxide layer, indicating that the modified surface properties are impacting the formation of the ferroelectric phase during anneal. In light of this, care should be taken to map out ferroelectric HfO2 properties using the particular physical stack that will be used, rather than using an MFM stack as a proxy.

  11. Reversible optical control of macroscopic polarization in ferroelectrics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rubio-Marcos, Fernando; Ochoa, Diego A.; Del Campo, Adolfo; García, Miguel A.; Castro, Germán R.; Fernández, José F.; García, José E.

    2018-01-01

    The optical control of ferroic properties is a subject of fascination for the scientific community, because it involves the establishment of new paradigms for technology1-9. Domains and domain walls are known to have a great impact on the properties of ferroic materials1-24. Progress is currently being made in understanding the behaviour of the ferroelectric domain wall, especially regarding its dynamic control10-12,17,19. New research is being conducted to find effective methodologies capable of modulating ferroelectric domain motion for future electronics. However, the practical use of ferroelectric domain wall motion should be both stable and reversible (rewritable) and, in particular, be able to produce a macroscopic response that can be monitored easily12,17. Here, we show that it is possible to achieve a reversible optical change of ferroelectric domains configuration. This effect leads to the tuning of macroscopic polarization and its related properties by means of polarized light, a non-contact external control. Although this is only the first step, it nevertheless constitutes the most crucial one in the long and complex process of developing the next generation of photo-stimulated ferroelectric devices.

  12. Perovskite oxides for visible-light-absorbing ferroelectric and photovoltaic materials.

    PubMed

    Grinberg, Ilya; West, D Vincent; Torres, Maria; Gou, Gaoyang; Stein, David M; Wu, Liyan; Chen, Guannan; Gallo, Eric M; Akbashev, Andrew R; Davies, Peter K; Spanier, Jonathan E; Rappe, Andrew M

    2013-11-28

    Ferroelectrics have recently attracted attention as a candidate class of materials for use in photovoltaic devices, and for the coupling of light absorption with other functional properties. In these materials, the strong inversion symmetry breaking that is due to spontaneous electric polarization promotes the desirable separation of photo-excited carriers and allows voltages higher than the bandgap, which may enable efficiencies beyond the maximum possible in a conventional p-n junction solar cell. Ferroelectric oxides are also stable in a wide range of mechanical, chemical and thermal conditions and can be fabricated using low-cost methods such as sol-gel thin-film deposition and sputtering. Recent work has shown how a decrease in ferroelectric layer thickness and judicious engineering of domain structures and ferroelectric-electrode interfaces can greatly increase the current harvested from ferroelectric absorber materials, increasing the power conversion efficiency from about 10(-4) to about 0.5 per cent. Further improvements in photovoltaic efficiency have been inhibited by the wide bandgaps (2.7-4 electronvolts) of ferroelectric oxides, which allow the use of only 8-20 per cent of the solar spectrum. Here we describe a family of single-phase solid oxide solutions made from low-cost and non-toxic elements using conventional solid-state methods: [KNbO3]1 - x[BaNi1/2Nb1/2O3 - δ]x (KBNNO). These oxides exhibit both ferroelectricity and a wide variation of direct bandgaps in the range 1.1-3.8 electronvolts. In particular, the x = 0.1 composition is polar at room temperature, has a direct bandgap of 1.39 electronvolts and has a photocurrent density approximately 50 times larger than that of the classic ferroelectric (Pb,La)(Zr,Ti)O3 material. The ability of KBNNO to absorb three to six times more solar energy than the current ferroelectric materials suggests a route to viable ferroelectric semiconductor-based cells for solar energy conversion and

  13. Nonvolatile gate effect in a ferroelectric-semiconductor quantum well.

    PubMed

    Stolichnov, Igor; Colla, Enrico; Setter, Nava; Wojciechowski, Tomasz; Janik, Elzbieta; Karczewski, Grzegorz

    2006-12-15

    Field effect transistors with ferroelectric gates would make ideal rewritable nonvolatile memories were it not for the severe problems in integrating the ferroelectric oxide directly on the semiconductor channel. We propose a powerful way to avoid these problems using a gate material that is ferroelectric and semiconducting simultaneously. First, ferroelectricity in semiconductor (Cd,Zn)Te films is proven and studied using modified piezoforce scanning probe microscopy. Then, a rewritable field effect device is demonstrated by local poling of the (Cd,Zn)Te layer of a (Cd,Zn)Te/CdTe quantum well, provoking a reversible, nonvolatile change in the resistance of the 2D electron gas. The results point to a potential new family of nanoscale one-transistor memories.

  14. Nanoscale investigation of the piezoelectric properties of perovskite ferroelectrics and III-nitrides

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rodriguez, Brian Joseph

    Nanoscale characterization of the piezoelectric and polarization related properties of III-Nitrides by piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM), electrostatic force microscopy (EFM) and scanning Kelvin probe microscopy (SKPM) resulted in the measurement of piezoelectric constants, surface charge and surface potential. Photo-electron emission microscopy (PEEM) was used to determine the local electronic band structure of a GaN-based lateral polarity heterostructure (GaN-LPH). Nanoscale characterization of the imprint and switching behavior of ferroelectric thin films by PFM resulted in the observation of domain pinning, while nanoscale characterization of the spatial variations in the imprint and switching behavior of integrated (111)-oriented PZT-based ferroelectric random access memory (FRAM) capacitors by PFM have revealed a significant difference in imprint and switching behavior between the inner and outer parts of capacitors. The inner regions of the capacitors are typically negatively imprinted and consequently tend to switch back after being poled by a positive bias, while regions at the edge of the capacitors tend to exhibit more symmetric hysteresis behavior. Evidence was obtained indicating that mechanical stress conditions in the central regions of the capacitors can lead to incomplete switching. A combination of vertical and lateral piezoresponse force microscopy (VPFM and LPFM, respectively) has been used to map the out-of-plane and in-plane polarization distribution, respectively, of integrated (111)-oriented PZT-based capacitors, which revealed poled capacitors are in a polydomain state.

  15. Current and surface charge modified hysteresis loops in ferroelectric thin films

    DOE PAGES

    Balke Wisinger, Nina; Jesse, Stephen; Maksymovych, Petro; ...

    2015-08-19

    Polarization domains in ferroelectric materials and the ability to orient them with an external electric field lead to the development of a variety of applications from information storage to actuation. The development of piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) has enabled researchers to investigate ferroelectric domains and ferroelectric domain switching on the nanoscale, which offers a pathway to study structure-function relationships in this important material class. Due to its commercial availability and ease of use, PFM has become a widely used research tool. However, measurement artifacts, i.e., alternative signal origins besides the piezoelectric effect are barely discussed or considered. This becomes especiallymore » important for materials with a small piezoelectric coefficient or materials with unknown ferroelectric properties, including non-ferroelectric materials. Here, the role of surface charges and current flow during PFM measurements on classical ferroelectrics are discussed and it will be shown how they alter the PFM hysteresis loop shape. This will help to better address alternative signal origins in PFM-type experiments and offer a pathway to study additional phenomena besides ferroelectricity.« less

  16. Negative Thermal Expansion and Ferroelectric Oxides in Electronic Device Composites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Trujillo, Joy Elizabeth

    Electronic devices increasingly pervade our daily lives, driving the need to develop components which have material properties that can be designed to target a specific need. The principle motive of this thesis is to investigate the effects of particle size and composition on three oxides which possess electronic and thermal properties essential to designing improved ceramic composites for more efficient, high energy storage devices. A metal matrix composite project used the negative thermal expansion oxide, ZrW2O 8, to offset the high thermal expansion of the metal matrix without sacrificing high thermal conductivity. Composite preparation employed a powder mixing technique to achieve easy composition control and homogenous phase distribution in order to build composites which target a specific coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE). A tailorable CTE material is desirable for overcoming thermomechanical failure in heat sinks or device casings. This thesis also considers the particle size effect on dielectric properties in a common ferroelectric perovskite, Ba1-xSrxTiO 3. By varying the Ba:Sr ratio, the Curie temperature can be adjusted and by reducing the particle size, the dielectric constant can be increased and hysteresis decreased. These conditions could yield anonymously large dielectric constants near room temperature. However, the ferroelectric behavior has been observed to cease below a minimum size of a few tens of nanometers in bulk or thin film materials. Using a new particle slurry approach, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy allows dielectric properties to be determined for nanoparticles, as opposed to conventional methods which measure only bulk or thin film dielectric properties. In this manner, Ba1-xSrxTiO3 was investigated in a new size regime, extending the theory on the ferroelectric behavior to < 10 nm diameter. This knowledge will improve the potential to incorporate high dielectric constant, low loss ferroelectric nanoparticles in many

  17. Ferroelectricity in epitaxial Y-doped HfO2 thin film integrated on Si substrate

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, K.; Lee, T. Y.; Yang, S. M.; Lee, D. H.; Park, J.; Chae, S. C.

    2018-05-01

    We report on the ferroelectricity of a Y-doped HfO2 thin film epitaxially grown on Si substrate, with an yttria-stabilized zirconia buffer layer pre-deposited on the substrate. Piezoresponse force microscopy results show the ferroelectric domain pattern, implying the existence of ferroelectricity in the epitaxial HfO2 film. The epitaxially stabilized HfO2 film in the form of a metal-ferroelectric-insulator-semiconductor structure exhibits ferroelectric hysteresis with a clear ferroelectric switching current in polarization-voltage measurements. The HfO2 thin film also demonstrates ferroelectric retention comparable to that of current perovskite-based metal-ferroelectric-insulator-semiconductor structures.

  18. Bandlike Transport in Ferroelectric-Based Organic Field-Effect Transistors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Laudari, A.; Guha, S.

    2016-10-01

    The dielectric constant of polymer-ferroelectric dielectrics may be tuned by changing the temperature, offering a platform for monitoring changes in interfacial transport with the polarization strength in organic field-effect transistors (FETs). Temperature-dependent transport studies of FETs are carried out from a solution-processed organic semiconductor, 6,13-bis(triisopropylsilylethynyl)pentacene (TIPS-pentacene), using both ferroelectric- and nonferroelectric-gate insulators. Nonferroelectric dielectric-based TIPS-pentacene FETs show a clear activated transport, in contrast to the ferroelectric dielectric polymer, poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene), where a negative temperature coefficient of the mobility is observed in the ferroelectric temperature range. The current-voltage (I -V ) characteristics from TIPS-pentacene diodes signal a space-charge-limited conduction (SCLC) for a discrete set of trap levels, suggesting that charge injection and transport occurs through regions of ordering in the semiconductor. The carrier mobility extracted from temperature-dependent I -V characteristics from the trap-free SCLC region shows a negative coefficient beyond 200 K, similar to the trend observed in FETs with the ferroelectric dielectric. At moderate temperatures, the polarization-fluctuation-dominant transport inherent in a ferroelectric dielectric, in conjunction with the nature of traps, results in an effective detrapping of the shallow-trap states into more mobile states in TIPS-pentacene.

  19. Low temperature dielectric relaxation in ordinary perovskite ferroelectrics: enlightenment from high-energy x-ray diffraction

    DOE PAGES

    Ochoa, D. A.; Levit, R.; Fancher, C. M.; ...

    2017-04-05

    We report that ordinary ferroelectrics exhibit a second order phase transition that is characterized by a sharp peak in the dielectric permittivity at a frequency-independent temperature. Furthermore, these materials show a low temperature dielectric relaxation that appears to be a common behavior of perovskite systems. Tetragonal lead zirconate titanate is used here as a model system in order to explore the origin of such an anomaly, since there is no consensus about the physical phenomenon involved in it. Crystallographic and domain structure studies are performed from temperature dependent synchrotron x-ray diffraction measurement. Results indicate that the dielectric relaxation cannot bemore » associated with crystallographic or domain configuration changes. The relaxation process is then parameterized by using the Vogel–Fulcher–Tammann phenomenological equation. Finally, results allow us to hypothesize that the observed phenomenon is due to changes in the dynamic behavior of the ferroelectric domains related to the fluctuation of the local polarization.« less

  20. Removable polytetrafluoroethylene template based epitaxy of ferroelectric copolymer thin films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xia, Wei; Chen, Qiusong; Zhang, Jian; Wang, Hui; Cheng, Qian; Jiang, Yulong; Zhu, Guodong

    2018-04-01

    In recent years ferroelectric polymers have shown their great potentials in organic and flexible electronics. To meet the requirements of high-performance and low energy consumption of novel electronic devices and systems, structural and electrical properties of ferroelectric polymer thin films are expected to be further optimized. One possible way is to realize epitaxial growth of ferroelectric thin films via removable high-ordered polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) templates. Here two key parameters in epitaxy process, annealing temperature and applied pressure, are systematically studied and thus optimized through structural and electrical measurements of ferroelectric copolymer thin films. Experimental results indicate that controlled epitaxial growth is realized via suitable combination of both parameters. Annealing temperature above the melting point of ferroelectric copolymer films is required, and simultaneously moderate pressure (around 2.0 MPa here) should be applied. Over-low pressure (around 1.0 MPa here) usually results in the failure of epitaxy process, while over-high pressure (around 3.0 MPa here) often results in residual of PTFE templates on ferroelectric thin films.

  1. Tunable Microwave Filter Design Using Thin-Film Ferroelectric Varactors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Haridasan, Vrinda

    Military, space, and consumer-based communication markets alike are moving towards multi-functional, multi-mode, and portable transceiver units. Ferroelectric-based tunable filter designs in RF front-ends are a relatively new area of research that provides a potential solution to support wideband and compact transceiver units. This work presents design methodologies developed to optimize a tunable filter design for system-level integration, and to improve the performance of a ferroelectric-based tunable bandpass filter. An investigative approach to find the origins of high insertion loss exhibited by these filters is also undertaken. A system-aware design guideline and figure of merit for ferroelectric-based tunable band- pass filters is developed. The guideline does not constrain the filter bandwidth as long as it falls within the range of the analog bandwidth of a system's analog to digital converter. A figure of merit (FOM) that optimizes filter design for a specific application is presented. It considers the worst-case filter performance parameters and a tuning sensitivity term that captures the relation between frequency tunability and the underlying material tunability. A non-tunable parasitic fringe capacitance associated with ferroelectric-based planar capacitors is confirmed by simulated and measured results. The fringe capacitance is an appreciable proportion of the tunable capacitance at frequencies of X-band and higher. As ferroelectric-based tunable capac- itors form tunable resonators in the filter design, a proportionally higher fringe capacitance reduces the capacitance tunability which in turn reduces the frequency tunability of the filter. Methods to reduce the fringe capacitance can thus increase frequency tunability or indirectly reduce the filter insertion-loss by trading off the increased tunability achieved to lower loss. A new two-pole tunable filter topology with high frequency tunability (> 30%), steep filter skirts, wide stopband

  2. Effect of A-site La and Ba doping on threshold field and characteristic temperatures of PbSc0.5Ta0.5O3 relaxor studied by acoustic emission

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dul'kin, E.; Mihailova, B.; Gospodinov, M.; Roth, M.

    2012-09-01

    The structural transitions in Pb1-xLaxSc(1+x)/2Ta(1-x)/2O3, x = 0.08 (PLST) relaxor crystals were studied by means of acoustic emission (AE) under an external electric field (E) and compared with those observed in pure PbSc0.5Ta0.5O3 (PST) and Pb0.78Ba0.22Sc0.5Ta0.5O3 (PBST) [E. Dul'kin et al., EPL 94, 57002 (2011)]. Similar to both the PST and PBST compounds, in zero field PLST exhibits AE corresponding to a para-to-antiferroelectric incommensurate phase transition at Tn = 276 K, lying in the vicinity of dielectric temperature maximum (Tm). This AE signal exhibits a nontrivial behavior when applying E resembling the electric-field-dependence of Tn previously observed for both the PST and PBST, namely, Tn initially decreases with the increase of E, attains a minimum at a threshold field Eth = 0.5 kV/cm, accompanied by a pronounced maximum of the AE count rate Ṅ = 12 s-1, and then starts increasing as E enhances. The similarities and difference between PST, PLST, and PBST with respect to Tn, Eth, and Ṅ are discussed from the viewpoint of three mechanisms: (i) chemically induced random local electric field due to the extra charge on the A-site ion, (ii) disturbance of the system of stereochemically active lone-pair electrons of Pb2+ by the isotropic outermost electron shell of substituting ion, and (iii) change in the tolerance factor and elastic field to the larger ionic radius of the substituting A-site ion due to the different radius of the substituting ion. The first two mechanisms influence the actual values of Tn and Eth, whereas the latter is shown to affect the normalized Ṅ, indicating the fractions undergoing a field-induced crossover from a modulated antiferroelectric to a ferroelectric state. Creation of secondary random electric field, caused by doping-induced A-site-O ionic chemical bonding, is discussed.

  3. Voltage Drop in a Ferroelectric Single Layer Capacitor by Retarded Domain Nucleation.

    PubMed

    Kim, Yu Jin; Park, Hyeon Woo; Hyun, Seung Dam; Kim, Han Joon; Kim, Keum Do; Lee, Young Hwan; Moon, Taehwan; Lee, Yong Bin; Park, Min Hyuk; Hwang, Cheol Seong

    2017-12-13

    Ferroelectric (FE) capacitor is a critical electric component in microelectronic devices. Among many of its intriguing properties, the recent finding of voltage drop (V-drop) across the FE capacitor while the positive charges flow in is especially eye-catching. This finding was claimed to be direct evidence that the FE capacitor is in negative capacitance (NC) state, which must be useful for (infinitely) high capacitance and ultralow voltage operation of field-effect transistors. Nonetheless, the NC state corresponds to the maximum energy state of the FE material, so it has been widely accepted in the community that the material alleviates that state by forming ferroelectric domains. This work reports a similar V-drop effect from the 150 nm thick epitaxial BaTiO 3 ferroelectric thin film, but the interpretation was completely disparate; the V-drop can be precisely simulated by the reverse domain nucleation and propagation of which charge effect cannot be fully compensated for by the supplied charge from the external charge source. The disappearance of the V-drop effect was also observed by repeated FE switching only up to 10 cycles, which can hardly be explained by the involvement of the NC effect. The retained reverse domain nuclei even after the subsequent poling can explain such behavior.

  4. Studies of ferroelectric and dielectric properties of pure and doped barium titanate prepared by sol-gel method

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Bisen, Supriya; Mishra, Ashutosh; Jarabana, Kanaka M.

    2016-05-23

    In this work, Barium Titanate (BaTiO{sub 3}) powders were synthesized via Sol-Gel auto combustion method using citric acid as a chelating agent. We study the behavior of ferroelectric and dielectric properties of pure and doped BaTiO{sub 3} on different concentration. To understand the phase and structure of the powder calcined at 900°C were characterized by X-ray Diffraction shows that tetragonal phase is dominant for pure and doped BTO and data fitted by Rietveld Refinement. Electric and Dielectric properties were characterized by P-E Hysteresis and Dielectric measurement. In P-E measurement ferroelectric loop tracer applied for different voltage. The temperature dependant dielectricmore » constant behavior was observed as a function of frequency recorded on hp-Hewlett Packard 4192A, LF impedance, 5Hz-13Hz analyzer.« less

  5. Characterization of a Common-Gate Amplifier Using Ferroelectric Transistors

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hunt, Mitchell; Sayyah, Rana; MacLeod, Todd C.; Ho, Fat D.

    2011-01-01

    In this paper, the empirical data collected through experiments performed using a FeFET in the common-gate amplifier circuit is presented. The FeFET common-gate amplifier was characterized by varying all parameters in the circuit, such as load resistance, biasing of the transistor, and input voltages. Due to the polarization of the ferroelectric layer, the particular behavior of the FeFET common-gate amplifier presents interesting results. Furthermore, the differences between a FeFET common-gate amplifier and a MOSFET common-gate amplifier are examined.

  6. A novel readout integrated circuit for ferroelectric FPA detector

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bai, Piji; Li, Lihua; Ji, Yulong; Zhang, Jia; Li, Min; Liang, Yan; Hu, Yanbo; Li, Songying

    2017-11-01

    Uncooled infrared detectors haves some advantages such as low cost light weight low power consumption, and superior reliability, compared with cryogenically cooled ones Ferroelectric uncooled focal plane array(FPA) are being developed for its AC response and its high reliability As a key part of the ferroelectric assembly the ROIC determines the performance of the assembly. A top-down design model for uncooled ferroelectric readout integrated circuit(ROIC) has been developed. Based on the optical thermal and electrical properties of the ferroelectric detector the RTIA readout integrated circuit is designed. The noise bandwidth of RTIA readout circuit has been developed and analyzed. A novel high gain amplifier, a high pass filter and a low pass filter circuits are designed on the ROIC. In order to improve the ferroelectric FPA package performance and decrease of package cost a temperature sensor is designed on the ROIC chip At last the novel RTIA ROIC is implemented on 0.6μm 2P3M CMOS silicon techniques. According to the experimental chip test results the temporal root mean square(RMS)noise voltage is about 1.4mV the sensitivity of the on chip temperature sensor is 0.6 mV/K from -40°C to 60°C the linearity performance of the ROIC chip is better than 99% Based on the 320×240 RTIA ROIC, a 320×240 infrared ferroelectric FPA is fabricated and tested. Test results shows that the 320×240 RTIA ROIC meets the demand of infrared ferroelectric FPA.

  7. Materials being simultaneously ferroelectric, ferromagnetic, ferrotoroidic and ferroelastic

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schmid, Hans

    2001-03-01

    For the simultaneous occurrence of ferroelectric, ferromagnetic, ferrotoroidic and ferroelastic properties in the same phase, certain stringent symmetry and structural requirements have to be met. Among the 122 Shubnikov point groups 31 are allowing a spontaneous polarization, 31 a spontaneous magnetization and 31 a spontaneous toroidal moment, but only 9 groups allow all three types of vector property at the same time(H. Schmid, Ferroelectrics, in press). In practice this number is further reduced to 6 groups which are permitting "weak ferromagnetism", the most probable type of ferromagnetism found in ferroelectrics with magnetic superexchange interaction nets. The additional occurrence of ferroelasticity is possible for certain prototype phase/ferroic phase pairs of point group (= "Aizu species") only. In addition, one of the mentioned 9 point groups excludes ferroelasticity and allows a co-elastic phase transition only. - The presence or absence of full or partial coupling between the named primary ferroic spontaneous quantities and the resulting possibilities of coupled or non-coupled ferroic domain switching and reorientation are also ruled by the type of species(H. Schmid, Ferroelectrics, 221, 9-17 (1999)). - Apart from a few exceptions, multiferroic phases being simultaneously ferroelectric, ferromagnetic, ferrotoroidic and ferroelastic, are so far well established in the crystal family of boracites M_3B_7O_13X only, where M stands for a bivalent 3d-transition metal ion and X for an ion of the halogens Cl, Br or I(H. Schmid, Ferroelectrics, 162, 317-338 (1994)). - A toroidal moment changes sign both under time reversal and space inversion and has the same symmetry as current density, anapole moment, velocity, etc. First experimental evidence of the presence of a spontaneous toroidal moment in boracites is suggested by phenomenological theory on the basis of measured anomalies of the linear magnetoelectric effect(D.G. Sannikov, Ferroelectrics, 219, 177 (1998

  8. Ferroelectric large polarons

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Miyata, Kiyoshi; Zhu, X.-Y.

    2018-05-01

    Kiyoshi Miyata and X.-Y. Zhu analyse the ferroelectric-like dielectric response of lead halide perovskites in the terahertz region and discuss the potential role of polar nanodomains in accounting for the defect tolerance and low recombination rates of these materials.

  9. Discovery of stable skyrmionic state in ferroelectric nanocomposites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nahas, Y.; Prokhorenko, S.; Louis, L.; Gui, Z.; Kornev, I.; Bellaiche, L.

    2015-10-01

    Non-coplanar swirling field textures, or skyrmions, are now widely recognized as objects of both fundamental interest and technological relevance. So far, skyrmions were amply investigated in magnets, where due to the presence of chiral interactions, these topological objects were found to be intrinsically stabilized. Ferroelectrics on the other hand, lacking such chiral interactions, were somewhat left aside in this quest. Here we demonstrate, via the use of a first-principles-based framework, that skyrmionic configuration of polarization can be extrinsically stabilized in ferroelectric nanocomposites. The interplay between the considered confined geometry and the dipolar interaction underlying the ferroelectric phase instability induces skyrmionic configurations. The topological structure of the obtained electrical skyrmion can be mapped onto the topology of domain-wall junctions. Furthermore, the stabilized electrical skyrmion can be as small as a few nanometers, thus revealing prospective skyrmion-based applications of ferroelectric nanocomposites.

  10. Light-Induced Capacitance Tunability in Ferroelectric Crystals.

    PubMed

    Páez-Margarit, David; Rubio-Marcos, Fernando; Ochoa, Diego A; Del Campo, Adolfo; Fernández, José F; García, José E

    2018-06-25

    The remote controlling of ferroic properties with light is nowadays a hot and highly appealing topic in materials science. Here, we shed light on some of the unresolved issues surrounding light-matter coupling in ferroelectrics. Our findings show that the capacitance and, consequently, its related intrinsic material property, i.e., the dielectric constant, can be reversibly adjusted through the light power control. High photodielectric performance is exhibited across a wide range of the visible light wavelength because of the wavelength-independence of the phenomenon. We have verified that this counterintuitive behavior can be strongly ascribed to the existence of "locally free charges" at domain wall.

  11. The Role of Partial Surface Charge Compensation in the Properties of Ferroelectric and Antiferroelectric Thin Films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Swedberg, Elena

    to investigate the electrocaloric effect in ferroelectric films with partial surface charge compensation led to the prediction that the residual depolarizing field can perform a dual role in the electrocaloric effect in these films. When the depolarizing field creates competition between the monodomain and nanodomain states, we predict an enhancement of the electrocaloric effect due to the frustration that increases the entropy of the state and therefore the electrocaloric temperature change. On the other hand, when the depolarizing field leads to a formation of nanodomains, thin films either exhibit a small electrocaloric effect or lose their electrocaloric properties altogether to the irreversible nanodomain motion. When the residual depolarizing field is weak enough to permit the formation of monodomain phases, the electrocaloric effect is significantly reduced as compared to bulk. We believe that our findings could potentially reveal additional opportunities to optimize solid state cooling technology. While the electrocaloric effect has been a popular topic of interest in recent years [12], there still exists numerous gaps in the fundamental understanding of the effect. In particular, it is presently unknown whether the scaling laws, known to exist for magnetocaloric materials, can be applied to ferroelectric and antiferroelectric electrocalorics. We predict the existence of scaling laws for low-field electrocaloric temperature change in antiferroelectric and ferroelectric materials. With the help of first-principles-based simulations, we showed computationally that the scaling laws exist for antiferroelectric PbZrO3 along with ferroelectrics PbTiO3, BaTiO 3 and KNbO3. Additional evidence of the scaling laws existence are provided using experimental data from the literature. Interestingly, our studies on ferroelectric films predicted the existence of antiferroelectric behavior in ultrathin films with partial surface charge compensation. One may wonder whether it

  12. Ferroelectric Schottky diode behavior from a SrRuO3-Pb(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O3-Ta structure

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pintilie, Lucian; Stancu, Viorica; Trupina, L.; Pintilie, Ioana

    2010-08-01

    A single ferroelectric Schottky diode was obtained on a SrRuO3-Pb(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O3-Ta (SRO-PZT20/80-Ta) structure in which the SRO-PZT20/80 interface is the rectifying contact and the PZT20/80-Ta interface behaves as a quasiohmic contact. Both the capacitance-voltage (C-V) and the current-voltage (I-V) characteristics show the memory effect due to the ferroelectric polarization. However, retention studies had revealed that only the “down” orientation of ferroelectric polarization is stable in time (polarization oriented from top to bottom contact). The analysis of the experimental results suggests that the PZT20/80 is n type and that the stable orientation of polarization is related to the presence of a depletion region at the SRO-PZT20/80 Schottky interface.

  13. Performance of thin-film ferroelectric capacitors for EMC decoupling.

    PubMed

    Li, Huadong; Subramanyam, Guru

    2008-12-01

    This paper studied the effects of thin-film ferroelectrics as decoupling capacitors for electromagnetic compatibility applications. The impedance and insertion loss of PZT capacitors were measured and compared with the results from commercial off-the-shelf capacitors. An equivalent circuit model was extracted from the experimental results, and a considerable series resistance was found to exist in ferroelectric capacitors. This resistance gives rise to the observed performance difference around series resonance between ferroelectric PZT capacitors and normal capacitors. Measurements on paraelectric (Ba,Sr)TiO(3)-based integrated varactors do not show this significant resistance. Some analyses were made to investigate the mechanisms, and it was found that it can be due to the hysteresis in the ferroelectric thin films.

  14. Raman scattering study of the ferroelectric phase transition in BaT i2O5

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tsukada, Shinya; Fujii, Yasuhiro; Yoneda, Yasuhiro; Moriwake, Hiroki; Konishi, Ayako; Akishige, Yukikuni

    2018-02-01

    Uniaxial ferroelectric BaT i2O5 with a Curie temperature TC of 743 K was investigated to clarify its paraelectric-ferroelectric phase-transition behavior. The mechanism is discussed on the basis of the structure from short to long ranges determined by synchrotron x-ray diffraction and the lattice dynamics probed by Raman spectroscopy. BaT i2O5 is regarded as a homogeneous system, and the lattice dynamics can be interpreted by the selection rules and tensor properties of the homogeneous structure. Angle-resolved polarized Raman spectroscopy clearly shows that an A -mode-type overdamped phonon plays the key role in the phase transition. Using a combination of experimental results and first-principles calculations, we explain the phase transition as follows: In one of three Ti O6 octahedral units, Ti vibrates along the b axis opposite an oxygen octahedral unit with large damping in the paraelectric phase, whereas this vibration is frozen in the ferroelectric phase, leading to a change in the space group from nonpolar C 2 /m to polar C 2 .

  15. Novel two-dimensional ferroelectric PbTe under tension: A first-principles prediction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Xilin; Yang, Zongxian; Chen, Yue

    2017-08-01

    Enhanced ferroelectricity in two-dimensional (2D) SnTe exhibiting a higher transition temperature (Tc) than its bulk counterpart was recently discovered [Chang et al., Science 353(6296), 274-278 (2016)]. Herein, we report that nonferroelectric PbTe can be transformed into a ferroelectric phase by downsizing to two dimensions with suitable equi-biaxial tension. The crystal structure of the ferroelectric phase of 2D PbTe was determined using evolutionary algorithms and density functional theory. The dynamic stabilities of the predicted new phases were investigated using phonon calculations. To validate our results obtained using PbTe, we have also studied the ferroelectricity in GeTe and SnTe at the 2D level and compared them with the literature. The unequal lattice constants and the relative atomic displacements are found to be responsible for ferroelectricity in 2D GeTe, SnTe, and strained PbTe. This study facilitates the development of new 2D ferroelectrics via strain engineering and promotes the integration of ferroelectric devices.

  16. Ferroelectric order in liquid crystal phases of polar disk-shaped ellipsoids

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bose, Tushar Kanti; Saha, Jayashree

    2014-05-01

    The demonstration of a spontaneous macroscopic ferroelectric order in liquid phases in the absence of any long range positional order is considered an outstanding problem of both fundamental and technological interest. Recently, we reported that a system of polar achiral disklike ellipsoids can spontaneously exhibit a long searched ferroelectric nematic phase and a ferroelectric columnar phase with strong axial polarization. The major role is played by the dipolar interactions. The model system of interest consists of attractive-repulsive Gay-Berne oblate ellipsoids embedded with two parallel point dipoles positioned symmetrically on the equatorial plane of the ellipsoids. In the present work, we investigate in detail the profound effects of changing the separation between the two symmetrically placed dipoles and the strength of the dipoles upon the existence of different ferroelectric discotic liquid crystal phases via extensive off-lattice N-P-T Monte Carlo simulations. Ferroelectric biaxial phases are exhibited in addition to the uniaxial ferroelectric fluids where the phase biaxiality results from the dipolar interactions. The structures of all the ferroelectric configurations of interest are presented in detail. Simple phase diagrams are determined which include different polar and apolar discotic fluids generated by the system.

  17. Proceedings of the 8th International Symposium on Applications of Ferroelectrics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, M.; Safari, A.; Kingon, A.; Haertling, G.

    1993-02-01

    The eighth International Symposium on the Applications of Ferroelectrics was held in Greenville, SC, on August 30 to Sept 2, 1992. It was attended by approximately 260 scientists and engineers who presented nearly 200 oral and poster papers. The three plenary presentations covered ferroelectric materials which are currently moving into commercial exploitation or have strong potential to do so. These were (1) pyroelectric imaging, (2) ferroelectric materials integrated with silicon for use as micromotors and microsensors and (3) research activity in Japan on high permittivity materials for DRAM's. Invited papers covered such subjects as pyroelectric and electrooptic properties of thin films, photorefractive effects, ferroelectric polymers, piezoelectric transducers, processing of ferroelectrics, domain switching in ferroelectrics, thin film memories, thin film vacuum deposition techniques and the fabrication of chemically prepared PZT and PLZT thin films. The papers continued to reflect the large interest in ferroelectric thin films. It was encouraging that there have been substantial strides made in both the processing and understanding of the films in the last two years. It was equally clear, however, that much still remains to be done before reliable thin film devices will be available in the marketplace.

  18. Pretransitional diffuse neutron scattering in the mixed perovskite relaxor K1-xLixTaO3

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yong, Grace; Toulouse, Jean; Erwin, Ross; Shapiro, Stephen M.; Hennion, Bernard

    2000-12-01

    Several previous studies of K1-xLixTaO3 (KLT) have revealed the presence, above the structural transition, of polar nanoregions. Recently, these have been shown to play an essential role in the relaxor behavior of KLT. In order to characterize these regions, we have performed a neutron-scattering study of KLT crystals with different lithium concentrations, both above and below the critical concentration. This study reveals the existence of diffuse scattering that appears upon formation of these regions. The rodlike distribution of the diffuse scattering along cubic directions indicates that the regions form in the shape of discs in the various cubic planes. From the width of the diffuse scattering we extract values for a correlation length or size of the regions as a function of temperature. Finally, on the basis of the reciprocal lattice points around which the diffuse scattering is most intense, we conclude that the regions have tetragonal symmetry. The large increase in Bragg intensities at the first-order transition suggests that the polar regions freeze to form large structural domains and the transition is triggered by the percolation of strain fields through the crystals.

  19. Simultaneous dynamic characterization of charge and structural motion during ferroelectric switching

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kwamen, C.; Rössle, M.; Reinhardt, M.; Leitenberger, W.; Zamponi, F.; Alexe, M.; Bargheer, M.

    2017-10-01

    Monitoring structural changes in ferroelectric thin films during electric field induced polarization switching is important for a full microscopic understanding of the coupled motion of charges, atoms, and domain walls in ferroelectric nanostructures. We combine standard ferroelectric test sequences of switching and nonswitching electrical pulses with time-resolved x-ray diffraction to investigate the structural response of a nanoscale Pb (Zr0.2Ti0.8) O3 ferroelectric oxide capacitor upon charging, discharging, and polarization reversal. We observe that a nonlinear piezoelectric response of the ferroelectric layer develops on a much longer time scale than the R C time constant of the device. The complex atomic motion during the ferroelectric polarization reversal starts with a contraction of the lattice, whereas the expansive piezoelectric response sets in after considerable charge flow due to the applied voltage pulses on the electrodes of the capacitor. Our simultaneous measurements on a working device elucidate and visualize the complex interplay of charge flow and structural motion and challenges theoretical modeling.

  20. Dynamic amplification of light signals in photorefractive ferroelectric liquid crystal blends containing photoconductive chiral dopant

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sasaki, T.; Hafuri, M.; Suda, T.; Nakano, M.; Funada, K.; Ohta, M.; Terazono, T.; Le, K. V.; Naka, Y.

    2017-08-01

    Effect of ferroelectricity on the photorefractive effect of ferroelectric liquid crystal blends was investigated. The photorefractive effect of ferroelectric liquid crystal blends strongly depend on the ferroelectricity of the blend. We have prepared a series of ferroelectric liquid crystal blends that contains several concentrations of a chiral compound while keeping a constant concentration of a photoconductive moiety. The photorefractive properties of the ferroelectric liquid crystal blends were discussed with relations to the ferroelectric properties of the blends.

  1. Ultra-High-Density Ferroelectric Memories

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Thakoor, Sarita

    1995-01-01

    Features include fast input and output via optical fibers. Memory devices of proposed type include thin ferroelectric films in which data stored in form of electric polarization. Assuming one datum stored in region as small as polarization domain, sizes of such domains impose upper limits on achievable storage densities. Limits approach 1 terabit/cm(Sup2) in all-optical versions of these ferroelectric memories and exceeds 1 gigabit/cm(Sup2) in optoelectronic versions. Memories expected to exhibit operational lives of about 10 years, input/output times of about 10 ns, and fatigue lives of about 10(Sup13) cycles.

  2. Giant electroresistance of super-tetragonal BiFeO3-based ferroelectric tunnel junctions.

    PubMed

    Yamada, Hiroyuki; Garcia, Vincent; Fusil, Stéphane; Boyn, Sören; Marinova, Maya; Gloter, Alexandre; Xavier, Stéphane; Grollier, Julie; Jacquet, Eric; Carrétéro, Cécile; Deranlot, Cyrile; Bibes, Manuel; Barthélémy, Agnès

    2013-06-25

    Ferroelectric tunnel junctions enable a nondestructive readout of the ferroelectric state via a change of resistance induced by switching the ferroelectric polarization. We fabricated submicrometer solid-state ferroelectric tunnel junctions based on a recently discovered polymorph of BiFeO3 with giant axial ratio ("T-phase"). Applying voltage pulses to the junctions leads to the highest resistance changes (OFF/ON ratio >10,000) ever reported with ferroelectric tunnel junctions. Along with the good retention properties, this giant effect reinforces the interest in nonvolatile memories based on ferroelectric tunnel junctions. We also show that the changes in resistance scale with the nucleation and growth of ferroelectric domains in the ultrathin BiFeO3 (imaged by piezoresponse force microscopy), thereby suggesting potential as multilevel memory cells and memristors.

  3. Domain walls and ferroelectric reversal in corundum derivatives

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ye, Meng; Vanderbilt, David

    2017-01-01

    Domain walls are the topological defects that mediate polarization reversal in ferroelectrics, and they may exhibit quite different geometric and electronic structures compared to the bulk. Therefore, a detailed atomic-scale understanding of the static and dynamic properties of domain walls is of pressing interest. In this work, we use first-principles methods to study the structures of 180∘ domain walls, both in their relaxed state and along the ferroelectric reversal pathway, in ferroelectrics belonging to the family of corundum derivatives. Our calculations predict their orientation, formation energy, and migration energy and also identify important couplings between polarization, magnetization, and chirality at the domain walls. Finally, we point out a strong empirical correlation between the height of the domain-wall-mediated polarization reversal barrier and the local bonding environment of the mobile A cations as measured by bond-valence sums. Our results thus provide both theoretical and empirical guidance for future searches for ferroelectric candidates in materials of the corundum derivative family.

  4. A ferroelectric model for the low emissivity highlands on Venus

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Shepard, Michael K.; Arvidson, Raymond E.; Brackett, Robert A.; Fegley, Bruce, Jr.

    1994-01-01

    A model to explain the low emissivity venusian highlands is proposed utilizing the temperature-dependent dielectric constant of ferroelectric minerals. Ferroelectric minerals are known to occur in alkaline and carbonite rocks, both of which are plausible for Venus. Ferroelectric minerals possess extremely high dielectric constants (10(exp 5)) over small temperature intervals and are only required in minor (much less than 1%) abundances to explain the observed emissivities. The ferroelectric model can account for: (1) the observed reduction in emissivity with increased altitude, (2) the abrupt return to normal emissivities at highest elevations, and (3) the variations in the critical elevation observed from region to region.

  5. Investigation of high dielectric constant ceramics and films with improved temperature stability of doped and undoped lead indium niobate:lead magnesium niobate

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tai, Cheuk Wai

    Complex perovskite-structured relaxor ferroelectric ceramics of (x)Pb(In 1/2Nb1/2)O3:(1-x)Pb(Mg 1/3Nb2/3)O3 with x = 0.1 to 0.9 were studied extensively during the project. The ceramics were fabricated by conventional mixed oxide route of the two-step method. Measurements of their dielectric properties and ferroelectric hysteresis were performed to explore their potential for capacitor applications. The results show many features common to the relaxor behavior, including slim ferroelectric hysteresis loop and frequency dispersions in plots of relative permittivity. In addition, the ceramics with x = 0.3 to 0.7 show relative permittivity that is highly stable over the temperature range -30°C to 125°C. In order to explore structural alterations and their subsequent influence on dielectric properties, a variety of dopants were added to (0.3)Pb(In 1/2Nb1/2)O3:(0.7)Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3 )O3 ceramics. The additives were Ba2+, Sr 2+, La3+, Na+, Ti4+ and Yb4+ obtained from different raw materials of oxides or carbonates. The modified ceramics were also fabricated by the two-step method. Fourteen ceramics samples doped with 2 or 5 mole % of the above elements, 5 mole % Na + 2 mole % Ti and 5 mole % Na + 5 mole % Ti doped were characterized in total. The measured dielectric properties of these ceramics were different to those of the parent ceramics and some of these meet the EIA-standard for industrial ceramic capacitor applications. An exploratory fabrication and study of thin films of the (0.4)Pb(In 1/2Nb1/2)O3:(0.6)Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3 )O3 and two doped (0.3)Pb(In1/2Nb1/2)O 3: (0.7)Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3 compositions were carried out to demonstrate their potential for MEMS or other micro- or nano-scale systems. The epitaxial films were grown successfully by pulsed laser deposition (PLD). Prior to deposition of the films, La0.7Sr 0.3MnO3 (LSMO) bottom electrode was first grown on LaAlO 3 substrate. The orientation relationship between film, electrode and substrate was characterized by x

  6. Understanding the Origins of Large Negative Thermal Expansion in Ferroelectric Perovskites from First Principles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ritz, Ethan; Benedek, Nicole

    Many of the functional properties of ABO3 perovskite oxides (for example, ferroelectricity) are strongly linked to particular phonon modes in the material. In addition, in many cases it is possible to formulate simple guidelines or `rules of thumb' that link crystal structure and chemistry to specific lattice dynamical characteristics. The thermal transport properties of perovskites are thus potentially highly tunable and dynamically controllable with external fields. We use first-principles density functional theory to reveal new details related to the origin of the large negative thermal expansion (NTE) observed for ferroelectric PbTiO3. Although the origin of NTE in this material is often ascribed to ferroelectricity (which arises from the freezing in of a soft, zone-center optical phonon), our results suggest that zone-boundary modes play a major role in driving NTE. In addition, hybridization between different electronic states has a significant effect on the lattice dynamics of PbTiO3 in general, and its NTE behavior in particular. Our work has implications for the understanding of, discovery and design of NTE in perovskites and other families of inorganic materials. This work was supported in part by a NASA Space Technology Research Fellowship.

  7. Ferroelectricity and antiferroelectricity of doped thin HfO2-based films.

    PubMed

    Park, Min Hyuk; Lee, Young Hwan; Kim, Han Joon; Kim, Yu Jin; Moon, Taehwan; Kim, Keum Do; Müller, Johannes; Kersch, Alfred; Schroeder, Uwe; Mikolajick, Thomas; Hwang, Cheol Seong

    2015-03-18

    The recent progress in ferroelectricity and antiferroelectricity in HfO2-based thin films is reported. Most ferroelectric thin film research focuses on perovskite structure materials, such as Pb(Zr,Ti)O3, BaTiO3, and SrBi2Ta2O9, which are considered to be feasible candidate materials for non-volatile semiconductor memory devices. However, these conventional ferroelectrics suffer from various problems including poor Si-compatibility, environmental issues related to Pb, large physical thickness, low resistance to hydrogen, and small bandgap. In 2011, ferroelectricity in Si-doped HfO2 thin films was first reported. Various dopants, such as Si, Zr, Al, Y, Gd, Sr, and La can induce ferro-electricity or antiferroelectricity in thin HfO2 films. They have large remanent polarization of up to 45 μC cm(-2), and their coercive field (≈1-2 MV cm(-1)) is larger than conventional ferroelectric films by approximately one order of magnitude. Furthermore, they can be extremely thin (<10 nm) and have a large bandgap (>5 eV). These differences are believed to overcome the barriers of conventional ferroelectrics in memory applications, including ferroelectric field-effect-transistors and three-dimensional capacitors. Moreover, the coupling of electric and thermal properties of the antiferroelectric thin films is expected to be useful for various applications, including energy harvesting/storage, solid-state-cooling, and infrared sensors. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  8. Large electrostrictive effect in (Ba1-xGd2x/3)Zr0.3Ti0.7O3 relaxor towards moderate field actuator and energy storage applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ghosh, S. K.; Saha, Sujoy; Sinha, T. P.; Rout, S. K.

    2016-11-01

    The need of lead-free high performance ceramics with large electrostrictive effect, minimum hysteresis loss and energy storage ability at room temperature has become indispensable. At room temperature one of the key challenges in ceramic materials is to enhance the electrostrictive and energy storage properties simultaneously. In this regards, lead-free gadolinium modified barium zirconate titanate (Ba1-xGd2x/3)(Zr0.3Ti0.7)O3 (x = 0.02, 0.04, 0.06, 0.08, 0.10) ceramic was experimentally investigated to gain the competent electromechanical parameters near room temperature. Dielectric measurements exhibit a diffuse type of phase transition of relaxor phenomena and slim hysteresis loop with low remnant polarization and low hysteresis loss were observed. A moderate electric field of 30 kV/cm, recoverable energy and storage efficiency increases with Gd content. Strain-electric field hysteresis curves such as S-E, S-E2, and S-P2 profiles indicate improved electrostrictive characteristic of the ceramics. Results show that a maximum strain S ˜ 0.083% with large electrostrictive coefficient Q11 ˜ 0.054 m4/C2 and M11 ˜ 0.142 × 10-16 m2/V2 were obtained for x = 0.02 based BGdZT composition near relaxor-paraelectric phase boundary. The behavior of electrostrictive effect and energy storage efficiency suggested new possibilities of high precision lead-free ceramic actuator in a moderate field.

  9. Giant electrode effect on tunnelling electroresistance in ferroelectric tunnel junctions.

    PubMed

    Soni, Rohit; Petraru, Adrian; Meuffels, Paul; Vavra, Ondrej; Ziegler, Martin; Kim, Seong Keun; Jeong, Doo Seok; Pertsev, Nikolay A; Kohlstedt, Hermann

    2014-11-17

    Among recently discovered ferroelectricity-related phenomena, the tunnelling electroresistance (TER) effect in ferroelectric tunnel junctions (FTJs) has been attracting rapidly increasing attention owing to the emerging possibilities of non-volatile memory, logic and neuromorphic computing applications of these quantum nanostructures. Despite recent advances in experimental and theoretical studies of FTJs, many questions concerning their electrical behaviour still remain open. In particular, the role of ferroelectric/electrode interfaces and the separation of the ferroelectric-driven TER effect from electrochemical ('redox'-based) resistance-switching effects have to be clarified. Here we report the results of a comprehensive study of epitaxial junctions comprising BaTiO(3) barrier, La(0.7)Sr(0.3)MnO(3) bottom electrode and Au or Cu top electrodes. Our results demonstrate a giant electrode effect on the TER of these asymmetric FTJs. The revealed phenomena are attributed to the microscopic interfacial effect of ferroelectric origin, which is supported by the observation of redox-based resistance switching at much higher voltages.

  10. Polarization induced optical and electrical control of 2D materials by ferroelectrics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zafar, Zainab; You, Yumeng

    Integration of 2D semiconductors with ferroelectrics can provide a route towards control of polarization-switching by piezoelectric effect, allowing the realization of exciting features of next-generation optoelectronic devices. However, a fundamental understanding of spectroscopic investigation based on ferroelectric switching in ferroelectric/2D heterostructures remains elusive. Here, we demonstrate mechanical writing of nanoscale domains in ferroelectric thin film coupled with 2D materials, facilitated by piezoresponse force microscope (PFM). We propose the use of typical Raman/PL imaging to predict the effect of phase change of ferroelectric on 2D materials. Mechanical writing not only controls the local doping region, but also tunes the transport properties of the channel, as confirmed by its electrical characterization. By Raman/PL spectroscopy, we have identified the domain pattern of different polarizations in terms of amplitude modification of thin ferroelectric and possible shifts in wavenumber/energy of the emission peaks of 2D materials. Therefore, the sensitivity of spectroscopic imaging well corroborates the efficacy of mechanical writing for synthesizing ferroelectric gated 2D devices. Southeast University.

  11. New classes of piezoelectrics, ferroelectrics, and antiferroelectrics by first-principles high-throughput materials design

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bennett, Joseph

    2013-03-01

    Functional materials, such as piezoelectrics, ferroelectrics, and antiferroelectrics, exhibit large changes with applied fields and stresses. This behavior enables their incorporation into a wide variety of devices in technological fields such as energy conversion/storage and information processing/storage. Discovery of functional materials with improved performance or even new types of responses is thus not only a scientific challenge, but can have major impacts on society. In this talk I will review our efforts to uncover new families of functional materials using a combined crystallographic database/high-throughput first-principles approach. I will describe our work on the design and discovery of thousands of new functional materials, specifically the LiAlSi family as piezoelectrics, the LiGaGe family as ferroelectrics, and the MgSrSi family as antiferroelectrics.

  12. Room-temperature ferroelectricity in CuInP2S6 ultrathin flakes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Fucai; You, Lu; Seyler, Kyle L.; Li, Xiaobao; Yu, Peng; Lin, Junhao; Wang, Xuewen; Zhou, Jiadong; Wang, Hong; He, Haiyong; Pantelides, Sokrates T.; Zhou, Wu; Sharma, Pradeep; Xu, Xiaodong; Ajayan, Pulickel M.; Wang, Junling; Liu, Zheng

    2016-08-01

    Two-dimensional (2D) materials have emerged as promising candidates for various optoelectronic applications based on their diverse electronic properties, ranging from insulating to superconducting. However, cooperative phenomena such as ferroelectricity in the 2D limit have not been well explored. Here, we report room-temperature ferroelectricity in 2D CuInP2S6 (CIPS) with a transition temperature of ~320 K. Switchable polarization is observed in thin CIPS of ~4 nm. To demonstrate the potential of this 2D ferroelectric material, we prepare a van der Waals (vdW) ferroelectric diode formed by CIPS/Si heterostructure, which shows good memory behaviour with on/off ratio of ~100. The addition of ferroelectricity to the 2D family opens up possibilities for numerous novel applications, including sensors, actuators, non-volatile memory devices, and various vdW heterostructures based on 2D ferroelectricity.

  13. Ferroelectric-ferromagnetic coupling in hexagonal YMnO3 film

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cheng, Shaobo; Li, Menglei; Deng, Shiqing; Bao, Shanyong; Tang, Peizhe; Duan, Wenhui; Ma, Jing; Nan, Cewen; Zhu, Jing

    Simultaneously achieving ferroelectricity and ferromagnetism in a single phase material is an important research topic in recent decades. Here, we demonstrate that with the modulation of oxygen vacancies, the ferroelectric-ferromagnetic coupling can be realized in the typical hexagonal manganite: YMnO3. The first-principal calculations are used to reveal the importance of oxygen vacancies on the alterations of magnetic behaviors for YMnO3. In order to obtain net magnetic moments, the on-top oxygen vacancies of MnO5 clusters should be created, thus the initial 2D spin frustration structure of Mn ions will be broken. By growing YMnO3 film on Al2O3 substrate, large in-plane compressive strain is induced, thus we can experimentally realize the on-top oxygen vacancies. With the help of SQUID and spherical aberration corrected TEM, the magnetic moments are experimentally measured and the correlations between the crystal structures and magnetic properties can be clearly understood. Our findings may pave a way for future applications of single phase multiferroic materials. National 973 Project of China (2015CB654902, 2011CB606405) and Chinese National Natural Science Foundation (11374174, 51390471).

  14. Dielectric Dispersion, Diffuse Phase Transition, and Electrical Properties of BCT-BZT Ceramics Sintered at a Low-Temperature

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tian, Yongshang; Gong, Yansheng; Meng, Dawei; Li, Yuanjian; Kuang, Boya

    2015-08-01

    Lead-free ceramics 0.50Ba0.9Ca0.1TiO3-0.50BaTi1- x Zr x O3 (BCT-BZT) were prepared via sintering BCT and BZT nanoparticles, which were synthesized using a modified Pechini polymeric precursor method, at a low temperature of 1260°C. The relative densities of the ceramics prepared with different zirconium contents ( x) were all above 95.3%, reaching a maximum of 97% when x = 0.08. X-ray diffraction results confirmed the onset of phase transformation from orthorhombic to rhombohedral symmetry with increasing zirconium contents, and the polymorphic phase transition was observed at x = 0.10. The dielectric dispersion, diffuse phase transition (DPT), and relaxor-like ferroelectric characteristics as a function of zirconium content were thoroughly studied. Optimum physical properties, remnant polarization ( P r) = 16.4 μC/cm2, piezoelectric constant ( d 33) = ~240 pC/N, and electromechanical coupling factor ( k p) = 0.22, were obtained at x = 0.10. The findings of the current DPT behavior study of BCT-BZT ceramics are believed to be insightful to the development of ferroelectric materials.

  15. Exploring Anomalous Polarization Dynamics in Organometallic Halide Perovskites

    DOE PAGES

    Ahmadi, Mahshid; Collins, Liam; Puretzky, Alexander; ...

    2018-01-22

    Organometallic halide perovskites (OMHPs) have attracted broad attention as prospective materials for optoelectronic applications. Among the many anomalous properties of these materials, of special interest are the ferroelectric properties including both classical and relaxor-like components, as a potential origin of slow dynamics, field enhancement, and anomalous mobilities. Here, ferroelectric properties of the three representative OMHPs are explored, including FAPb xSn 1–xI 3 (x = 0, x = 0.85) and FA 0.85MA 0.15PbI 3 using band excitation piezoresponse force microscopy and contact mode Kelvin probe force microscopy, providing insight into long- and short-range dipole and charge dynamics in these materials andmore » probing ferroelectric density of states. Furthermore, second-harmonic generation in thin films of OMHPs is observed, providing a direct information on the noncentrosymmetric polarization in such materials. Overall, the data provide strong evidence for the presence of ferroelectric domains in these systems; however, the domain dynamics is suppressed by fast ion dynamics. These materials hence present the limit of ferroelectric materials with spontaneous polarization dynamically screened by ionic and electronic carriers.« less

  16. Exploring Anomalous Polarization Dynamics in Organometallic Halide Perovskites

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ahmadi, Mahshid; Collins, Liam; Puretzky, Alexander

    Organometallic halide perovskites (OMHPs) have attracted broad attention as prospective materials for optoelectronic applications. Among the many anomalous properties of these materials, of special interest are the ferroelectric properties including both classical and relaxor-like components, as a potential origin of slow dynamics, field enhancement, and anomalous mobilities. Here, ferroelectric properties of the three representative OMHPs are explored, including FAPb xSn 1–xI 3 (x = 0, x = 0.85) and FA 0.85MA 0.15PbI 3 using band excitation piezoresponse force microscopy and contact mode Kelvin probe force microscopy, providing insight into long- and short-range dipole and charge dynamics in these materials andmore » probing ferroelectric density of states. Furthermore, second-harmonic generation in thin films of OMHPs is observed, providing a direct information on the noncentrosymmetric polarization in such materials. Overall, the data provide strong evidence for the presence of ferroelectric domains in these systems; however, the domain dynamics is suppressed by fast ion dynamics. These materials hence present the limit of ferroelectric materials with spontaneous polarization dynamically screened by ionic and electronic carriers.« less

  17. New Ferroelectric Phase in Atomic-Thick Phosphorene Nanoribbons: Existence of in-Plane Electric Polarization.

    PubMed

    Hu, Ting; Wu, Haiping; Zeng, Haibo; Deng, Kaiming; Kan, Erjun

    2016-12-14

    Ferroelectrics have many significant applications in electric devices, such as capacitor or random-access memory, tuning the efficiency of solar cell. Although atomic-thick ferroelectrics are the necessary components for high-density electric devices or nanoscale devices, the development of such materials still faces a big challenge because of the limitation of intrinsic mechanism. Here, we reported that in-plane atomic-thick ferroelectricity can be induced by vertical electric field in phosphorene nanoribbons (PNRs). Through symmetry arguments, we predicted that ferroelectric direction is perpendicular to the direction of external electric field and lies in the plane. Further confirmed by the comprehensive first-principles calculations, we showed that such ferroelectricity is induced by the electron-polarization, which is different from the structural distortion in traditional ferroelectrics and the recent experimental discovery of in-plane atomic-thick ferroelectrics (Science 2016, 353, 274). Moreover, we found that the value of electronic polarization in bilayer is much larger than that in monolayer. Our results show that electron-polarization ferroelectricity maybe the most promising candidate for atomic-thick ferroelectrics.

  18. Surface engineering of ferroelectric polymer for the enhanced electrical performance of organic transistor memory

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, Do-Kyung; Lee, Gyu-Jeong; Lee, Jae-Hyun; Kim, Min-Hoi; Bae, Jin-Hyuk

    2018-05-01

    We suggest a viable surface control method to improve the electrical properties of organic nonvolatile memory transistors. For viable surface control, the surface of the ferroelectric insulator in the memory field-effect transistors was modified using a smooth-contact-curing process. For the modification of the ferroelectric polymer, during the curing of the ferroelectric insulators, the smooth surface of a soft elastomer contacts intimately with the ferroelectric surface. This smooth-contact-curing process reduced the surface roughness of the ferroelectric insulator without degrading its ferroelectric properties. The reduced roughness of the ferroelectric insulator increases the mobility of the organic field-effect transistor by approximately eight times, which results in a high memory on–off ratio and a low-voltage reading operation.

  19. Room-temperature ferroelectricity in CuInP 2S 6 ultrathin flakes

    DOE PAGES

    Liu, Fucai; You, Lu; Seyler, Kyle L.; ...

    2016-08-11

    In this study, two-dimensional (2D) materials have emerged as promising candidates for various optoelectronic applications based on their diverse electronic properties, ranging from insulating to superconducting. However, cooperative phenomena such as ferroelectricity in the 2D limit have not been well explored. Here, we report room-temperature ferroelectricity in 2D CuInP 2S 6 (CIPS) with a transition temperature of ~320 K. Switchable polarization is observed in thin CIPS of ~4 nm. To demonstrate the potential of this 2D ferroelectric material, we prepare a van der Waals (vdW) ferroelectric diode formed by CIPS/Si heterostructure, which shows good memory behaviour with on/off ratio ofmore » ~100. The addition of ferroelectricity to the 2D family opens up possibilities for numerous novel applications, including sensors, actuators, non-volatile memory devices, and various vdW heterostructures based on 2D ferroelectricity.« less

  20. Room-temperature ferroelectricity in CuInP2S6 ultrathin flakes

    PubMed Central

    Liu, Fucai; You, Lu; Seyler, Kyle L.; Li, Xiaobao; Yu, Peng; Lin, Junhao; Wang, Xuewen; Zhou, Jiadong; Wang, Hong; He, Haiyong; Pantelides, Sokrates T.; Zhou, Wu; Sharma, Pradeep; Xu, Xiaodong; Ajayan, Pulickel M.; Wang, Junling; Liu, Zheng

    2016-01-01

    Two-dimensional (2D) materials have emerged as promising candidates for various optoelectronic applications based on their diverse electronic properties, ranging from insulating to superconducting. However, cooperative phenomena such as ferroelectricity in the 2D limit have not been well explored. Here, we report room-temperature ferroelectricity in 2D CuInP2S6 (CIPS) with a transition temperature of ∼320 K. Switchable polarization is observed in thin CIPS of ∼4 nm. To demonstrate the potential of this 2D ferroelectric material, we prepare a van der Waals (vdW) ferroelectric diode formed by CIPS/Si heterostructure, which shows good memory behaviour with on/off ratio of ∼100. The addition of ferroelectricity to the 2D family opens up possibilities for numerous novel applications, including sensors, actuators, non-volatile memory devices, and various vdW heterostructures based on 2D ferroelectricity. PMID:27510418

  1. Room-temperature ferroelectricity in CuInP2S6 ultrathin flakes.

    PubMed

    Liu, Fucai; You, Lu; Seyler, Kyle L; Li, Xiaobao; Yu, Peng; Lin, Junhao; Wang, Xuewen; Zhou, Jiadong; Wang, Hong; He, Haiyong; Pantelides, Sokrates T; Zhou, Wu; Sharma, Pradeep; Xu, Xiaodong; Ajayan, Pulickel M; Wang, Junling; Liu, Zheng

    2016-08-11

    Two-dimensional (2D) materials have emerged as promising candidates for various optoelectronic applications based on their diverse electronic properties, ranging from insulating to superconducting. However, cooperative phenomena such as ferroelectricity in the 2D limit have not been well explored. Here, we report room-temperature ferroelectricity in 2D CuInP2S6 (CIPS) with a transition temperature of ∼320 K. Switchable polarization is observed in thin CIPS of ∼4 nm. To demonstrate the potential of this 2D ferroelectric material, we prepare a van der Waals (vdW) ferroelectric diode formed by CIPS/Si heterostructure, which shows good memory behaviour with on/off ratio of ∼100. The addition of ferroelectricity to the 2D family opens up possibilities for numerous novel applications, including sensors, actuators, non-volatile memory devices, and various vdW heterostructures based on 2D ferroelectricity.

  2. Thermally stimulated processes in samarium-modified lead titanate ferroelectric ceramics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Peláiz-Barranco, A.; García-Wong, A. C.; González-Abreu, Y.; Gagou, Y.; Saint-Grégoire, P.

    2013-08-01

    The thermally stimulated processes in a samarium-modified lead titanate ferroelectric system are analyzed from the thermally stimulated depolarization discharge current. The discharge due to the space charge injected during the poling process, the pyroelectric response and a conduction process related to oxygen vacancies are evaluated considering a theoretical decomposition by using a numerical method. The pyroelectric response is separated from other components to evaluate the polarization behavior and some pyroelectric parameters. High remanent polarization, pyroelectric coefficient and merit figure values are obtained at room temperature.

  3. Thin-Film Ferroelectric Tunable Microwave Devices Being Developed

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    VanKeuls, Frederick W.

    1999-01-01

    Electronically tunable microwave components have become the subject of intense research efforts in recent years. Many new communications systems would greatly benefit from these components. For example, planned low Earth orbiting satellite networks have a need for electronically scanned antennas. Thin ferroelectric films are one of the major technologies competing to fill these applications. When a direct-current (dc) voltage is applied to ferroelectric film, the dielectric constant of the film can be decreased by nearly an order of magnitude, changing the high-frequency wavelength in the microwave device. Recent advances in film growth have demonstrated high-quality ferroelectric thin films. This technology may allow microwave devices that have very low power and are compact, lightweight, simple, robust, planar, voltage tunable, and affordable. The NASA Lewis Research Center has been designing, fabricating, and testing proof-of-concept tunable microwave devices. This work, which is being done in-house with funding from the Lewis Director's Discretionary Fund, is focusing on introducing better microwave designs to utilize these materials. We have demonstrated Ku- and K-band phase shifters, tunable local oscillators, tunable filters, and tunable diplexers. Many of our devices employ SrTiO3 as the ferroelectric. Although it is one of the more tunable and easily grown ferroelectrics, SrTiO3 must be used at cryogenic temperatures, usually below 100 K. At these temperatures, we frequently use high-temperature superconducting thin films of YBa2Cu3O7-8 to carry the microwave signals. However, much of our recent work has concentrated on inserting room-temperature ferroelectric thin films, such as BaxSr1- xTiO3 into these devices. The BaxSr1-xTiO3 films are used in conjuction with normal metal conductors, such as gold.

  4. Ferroelectric Light Control Device

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Park, Yeonjoon (Inventor); Choi, Sang H. (Inventor); King, Glen C. (Inventor); Kim, Jae-Woo (Inventor); Elliott, Jr., James R. (Inventor)

    2008-01-01

    A light control device is formed by ferroelectric material and N electrodes positioned adjacent thereto to define an N-sided regular polygonal region or circular region there between where N is a multiple of four.

  5. Domain walls and ferroelectric reversal in corundum derivatives

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ye, Meng; Vanderbilt, David

    Domain walls are the topological defects that mediate polarization reversal in ferroelectrics, and they may exhibit quite different geometric and electronic structures compared to the bulk. Therefore, a detailed atomic-scale understanding of the static and dynamic properties of domain walls is of pressing interest. In this work, we use first-principles methods to study the structures of 180° domain walls, both in their relaxed state and along the ferroelectric reversal pathway, in ferroelectrics belonging to the family of corundum derivatives. Our calculations predict their orientation, formation energy, and migration energy, and also identify important couplings between polarization, magnetization, and chirality at the domain walls. Finally, we point out a strong empirical correlation between the height of the domain-wall mediated polarization reversal barrier and the local bonding environment of the mobile A cations as measured by bond valence sums. Our results thus provide both theoretical and empirical guidance to further search for ferroelectric candidates in materials of the corundum derivative family. The work is supported by ONR Grant N00014-12-1-1035.

  6. Ferroelectrics under the Synchrotron Light: A Review.

    PubMed

    Fuentes-Cobas, Luis E; Montero-Cabrera, María E; Pardo, Lorena; Fuentes-Montero, Luis

    2015-12-30

    Currently, an intensive search for high-performance lead-free ferroelectric materials is taking place. ABO₃ perovskites (A = Ba, Bi, Ca, K and Na; B = Fe, Nb, Ti, and Zr) appear as promising candidates. Understanding the structure-function relationship is mandatory, and, in this field, the roles of long- and short-range crystal orders and interactions are decisive. In this review, recent advances in the global and local characterization of ferroelectric materials by synchrotron light diffraction, scattering and absorption are analyzed. Single- and poly-crystal synchrotron diffraction studies allow high-resolution investigations regarding the long-range average position of ions and subtle global symmetry break-downs. Ferroelectric materials, under the action of electric fields, undergo crystal symmetry, crystallite/domain orientation distribution and strain condition transformations. Methodological aspects of monitoring these processes are discussed. Two-dimensional diffraction clarify larger scale ordering: polycrystal texture is measured from the intensities distribution along the Debye rings. Local order is investigated by diffuse scattering (DS) and X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) experiments. DS provides information about thermal, chemical and displacive low-dimensional disorders. XAFS investigation of ferroelectrics reveals local B-cation off-centering and oxidation state. This technique has the advantage of being element-selective. Representative reports of the mentioned studies are described.

  7. Ferroelectrics under the Synchrotron Light: A Review

    PubMed Central

    Fuentes-Cobas, Luis E.; Montero-Cabrera, María E.; Pardo, Lorena; Fuentes-Montero, Luis

    2015-01-01

    Currently, an intensive search for high-performance lead-free ferroelectric materials is taking place. ABO3 perovskites (A = Ba, Bi, Ca, K and Na; B = Fe, Nb, Ti, and Zr) appear as promising candidates. Understanding the structure–function relationship is mandatory, and, in this field, the roles of long- and short-range crystal orders and interactions are decisive. In this review, recent advances in the global and local characterization of ferroelectric materials by synchrotron light diffraction, scattering and absorption are analyzed. Single- and poly-crystal synchrotron diffraction studies allow high-resolution investigations regarding the long-range average position of ions and subtle global symmetry break-downs. Ferroelectric materials, under the action of electric fields, undergo crystal symmetry, crystallite/domain orientation distribution and strain condition transformations. Methodological aspects of monitoring these processes are discussed. Two-dimensional diffraction clarify larger scale ordering: polycrystal texture is measured from the intensities distribution along the Debye rings. Local order is investigated by diffuse scattering (DS) and X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) experiments. DS provides information about thermal, chemical and displacive low-dimensional disorders. XAFS investigation of ferroelectrics reveals local B-cation off-centering and oxidation state. This technique has the advantage of being element-selective. Representative reports of the mentioned studies are described. PMID:28787814

  8. Coupled ferroelectric polarization and magnetization in spinel FeCr2S4

    PubMed Central

    Lin, L.; Zhu, H. X.; Jiang, X. M.; Wang, K. F.; Dong, S.; Yan, Z. B.; Yang, Z. R.; Wan, J. G.; Liu, J.-M.

    2014-01-01

    One of the core issues for multiferroicity is the strongly coupled ferroelectric polarization and magnetization, while so far most multiferroics have antiferromagnetic order with nearly zero magnetization. Magnetic spinel compounds with ferrimagnetic order may be alternative candidates offering large magnetization when ferroelectricity can be activated simultaneously. In this work, we investigate the ferroelectricity and magnetism of spinel FeCr2S4 in which the Fe2+ sublattice and Cr3+ sublattice are coupled in antiparallel alignment. Well defined ferroelectric transitions below the Fe2+ orbital ordering termperature Too = 8.5 K are demonstrated. The ferroelectric polarization has two components. One component arises mainly from the noncollinear conical spin order associated with the spin-orbit coupling, which is thus magnetic field sensitive. The other is probably attributed to the Jahn-Teller distortion induced lattice symmetry breaking, occuring below the orbital ordering of Fe2+. Furthermore, the coupled ferroelectric polarization and magnetization in response to magnetic field are observed. The present work suggests that spinel FeCr2S4 is a multiferroic offering both ferroelectricity and ferrimagnetism with large net magnetization. PMID:25284432

  9. Ultrafast terahertz-field-driven ionic response in ferroelectric BaTiO 3

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Chen, F.; Zhu, Y.; Liu, S.

    The dynamical processes associated with electric field manipulation of the polarization in a ferroelectric remain largely unknown but fundamentally determine the speed and functionality of ferroelectric materials and devices. Here we apply subpicosecond duration, single-cycle terahertz pulses as an ultrafast electric field bias to prototypical BaTiO 3 ferroelectric thin films with the atomic-scale response probed by femtosecond x-ray-scattering techniques. We show that electric fields applied perpendicular to the ferroelectric polarization drive large-amplitude displacements of the titanium atoms along the ferroelectric polarization axis, comparable to that of the built-in displacements associated with the intrinsic polarization and incoherent across unit cells. Thismore » effect is associated with a dynamic rotation of the ferroelectric polarization switching on and then off on picosecond time scales. These transient polarization modulations are followed by long-lived vibrational heating effects driven by resonant excitation of the ferroelectric soft mode, as reflected in changes in the c-axis tetragonality. The ultrafast structural characterization described here enables a direct comparison with first-principles-based molecular-dynamics simulations, with good agreement obtained.« less

  10. Ultrafast terahertz-field-driven ionic response in ferroelectric BaTiO 3

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Chen, F.; Zhu, Y.; Liu, S.

    The dynamical processes associated with electric field manipulation of the polarization in a ferroelectric remain largely unknown but fundamentally determine the speed and functionality of ferroelectric materials and devices. Here in this paper we apply subpicosecond duration, single-cycle terahertz pulses as an ultrafast electric field bias to prototypical BaTiO 3 ferroelectric thin films with the atomic-scale response probed by femtosecond x-ray-scattering techniques. We show that electric fields applied perpendicular to the ferroelectric polarization drive large-amplitude displacements of the titanium atoms along the ferroelectric polarization axis, comparable to that of the built-in displacements associated with the intrinsic polarization and incoherent acrossmore » unit cells. This effect is associated with a dynamic rotation of the ferroelectric polarization switching on and then off on picosecond time scales. These transient polarization modulations are followed by long-lived vibrational heating effects driven by resonant excitation of the ferroelectric soft mode, as reflected in changes in the c-axis tetragonality. The ultrafast structural characterization described here enables a direct comparison with first-principles-based molecular-dynamics simulations, with good agreement obtained.« less

  11. Ultrafast terahertz-field-driven ionic response in ferroelectric BaTiO 3

    DOE PAGES

    Chen, F.; Zhu, Y.; Liu, S.; ...

    2016-11-22

    The dynamical processes associated with electric field manipulation of the polarization in a ferroelectric remain largely unknown but fundamentally determine the speed and functionality of ferroelectric materials and devices. Here in this paper we apply subpicosecond duration, single-cycle terahertz pulses as an ultrafast electric field bias to prototypical BaTiO 3 ferroelectric thin films with the atomic-scale response probed by femtosecond x-ray-scattering techniques. We show that electric fields applied perpendicular to the ferroelectric polarization drive large-amplitude displacements of the titanium atoms along the ferroelectric polarization axis, comparable to that of the built-in displacements associated with the intrinsic polarization and incoherent acrossmore » unit cells. This effect is associated with a dynamic rotation of the ferroelectric polarization switching on and then off on picosecond time scales. These transient polarization modulations are followed by long-lived vibrational heating effects driven by resonant excitation of the ferroelectric soft mode, as reflected in changes in the c-axis tetragonality. The ultrafast structural characterization described here enables a direct comparison with first-principles-based molecular-dynamics simulations, with good agreement obtained.« less

  12. Switching Characteristics of Ferroelectric Transistor Inverters

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Laws, Crystal; Mitchell, Coey; MacLeod, Todd C.; Ho, Fat D.

    2010-01-01

    This paper presents the switching characteristics of an inverter circuit using a ferroelectric field effect transistor, FeFET. The propagation delay time characteristics, phl and plh are presented along with the output voltage rise and fall times, rise and fall. The propagation delay is the time-delay between the V50% transitions of the input and output voltages. The rise and fall times are the times required for the output voltages to transition between the voltage levels V10% and V90%. Comparisons are made between the MOSFET inverter and the ferroelectric transistor inverter.

  13. Manipulating Ferroelectrics through Changes in Surface and Interface Properties

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Balke, Nina; Ramesh, Ramamoorthy; Yu, Pu

    Ferroelectric materials are used in many applications of modern technologies including information storage, transducers, sensors, tunable capacitors, and other novel device concepts. In many of these applications, the ferroelectric properties, such as switching voltages, piezoelectric constants, or stability of nanodomains, are crucial. For any application, even for material characterization, the material itself needs to be interfaced with electrodes. On the basis of the structural, chemical, and electronic properties of the interfaces, the measured material properties can be determined by the interface. This is also true for surfaces. However, the importance of interfaces and surfaces and their effect on experiments aremore » often neglected, which results in many dramatically different experimental results for nominally identical samples. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the role of the interface and surface properties on internal bias fields and the domain switching process. Here, the nanoscale ferroelectric switching process and the stability of nanodomains for Pb(Zr,Ti)O 3 thin films are investigated by using scanning probe microscopy. Interface and surface properties are modulated through the selection/redesign of electrode materials as well as tuning the surface-near oxygen vacancies, which both can result in changes of the electric fields acting across the sample, and consequently this controls the measured ferroelectric and domain retention properties. By understanding the role of surfaces and interfaces, ferroelectric properties can be tuned to eliminate the problem of asymmetric domain stability by combining the effects of different electrode materials. Lastly, this study forms an important step toward integrating ferroelectric materials in electronic devices.« less

  14. Manipulating Ferroelectrics through Changes in Surface and Interface Properties

    DOE PAGES

    Balke, Nina; Ramesh, Ramamoorthy; Yu, Pu

    2017-10-23

    Ferroelectric materials are used in many applications of modern technologies including information storage, transducers, sensors, tunable capacitors, and other novel device concepts. In many of these applications, the ferroelectric properties, such as switching voltages, piezoelectric constants, or stability of nanodomains, are crucial. For any application, even for material characterization, the material itself needs to be interfaced with electrodes. On the basis of the structural, chemical, and electronic properties of the interfaces, the measured material properties can be determined by the interface. This is also true for surfaces. However, the importance of interfaces and surfaces and their effect on experiments aremore » often neglected, which results in many dramatically different experimental results for nominally identical samples. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the role of the interface and surface properties on internal bias fields and the domain switching process. Here, the nanoscale ferroelectric switching process and the stability of nanodomains for Pb(Zr,Ti)O 3 thin films are investigated by using scanning probe microscopy. Interface and surface properties are modulated through the selection/redesign of electrode materials as well as tuning the surface-near oxygen vacancies, which both can result in changes of the electric fields acting across the sample, and consequently this controls the measured ferroelectric and domain retention properties. By understanding the role of surfaces and interfaces, ferroelectric properties can be tuned to eliminate the problem of asymmetric domain stability by combining the effects of different electrode materials. Lastly, this study forms an important step toward integrating ferroelectric materials in electronic devices.« less

  15. Complex oxide ferroelectrics: Electrostatic doping by domain walls

    DOE PAGES

    Maksymovych, Petro

    2015-06-19

    Electrically conducting interfaces can form, rather unexpectedly, by breaking the translational symmetry of electrically insulating complex oxides. For example, a nanometre-thick heteroepitaxial interface between electronically insulating LaAlO 3 and SrTiO 3 supports a 2D electron gas1 with high mobility of >1,000 cm 2 V -1 s -1 (ref. 2). Such interfaces can exhibit magnetism, superconductivity and phase transitions that may form the functional basis of future electronic devices2. A peculiar conducting interface can be created within a polar ferroelectric oxide by breaking the translational symmetry of the ferroelectric order parameter and creating a so-called ferroelectric domain wall (Fig. 1a,b). Ifmore » the direction of atomic displacements changes at the wall in such a way as to create a discontinuity in the polarization component normal to the wall (Fig. 1a), the domain wall becomes electrostatically charged. It may then attract compensating mobile charges of opposite sign produced by dopant ionization, photoexcitation or other effects, thereby locally, electrostatically doping the host ferroelectric film. In contrast to conductive interfaces between epitaxially grown oxides, domain walls can be reversibly created, positioned and shaped by electric fields, enabling reconfigurable circuitry within the same volume of the material. Now, writing in Nature Nanotechnology, Arnaud Crassous and colleagues at EPFL and University of Geneva demonstrate control and stability of charged conducting domain walls in ferroelectric thin films of BiFeO 3 down to the nanoscale.« less

  16. Computational findings of metastable ferroelectric phases of squaric acid

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ishibashi, Shoji; Horiuchi, Sachio; Kumai, Reiji

    2018-05-01

    Antiferroelectric-to-ferroelectric transitions in squaric acid are simulated by computationally applying a static electric field. Depending on the direction of the electric field, two different metastable ferroelectric (and piezoelectric) phases have been found. One of them corresponds to the experimentally confirmed phase, whereas the other is an optimally polarized phase. The structural details of these phases have been determined as a function of the electric field. The spontaneous polarization values of the phases are 14.5 and 20.5 μ C /cm2, respectively, and are relatively high among those of the existing organic ferroelectrics.

  17. Hierarchical ferroelectric and ferrotoroidic polarizations coexistent in nano-metamaterials

    PubMed Central

    Shimada, Takahiro; Lich, Le Van; Nagano, Koyo; Wang, Jie; Kitamura, Takayuki

    2015-01-01

    Tailoring materials to obtain unique, or significantly enhanced material properties through rationally designed structures rather than chemical constituents is principle of metamaterial concept, which leads to the realization of remarkable optical and mechanical properties. Inspired by the recent progress in electromagnetic and mechanical metamaterials, here we introduce the concept of ferroelectric nano-metamaterials, and demonstrate through an experiment in silico with hierarchical nanostructures of ferroelectrics using sophisticated real-space phase-field techniques. This new concept enables variety of unusual and complex yet controllable domain patterns to be achieved, where the coexistence between hierarchical ferroelectric and ferrotoroidic polarizations establishes a new benchmark for exploration of complexity in spontaneous polarization ordering. The concept opens a novel route to effectively tailor domain configurations through the control of internal structure, facilitating access to stabilization and control of complex domain patterns that provide high potential for novel functionalities. A key design parameter to achieve such complex patterns is explored based on the parity of junctions that connect constituent nanostructures. We further highlight the variety of additional functionalities that are potentially obtained from ferroelectric nano-metamaterials, and provide promising perspectives for novel multifunctional devices. This study proposes an entirely new discipline of ferroelectric nano-metamaterials, further driving advances in metamaterials research. PMID:26424484

  18. Capacitance-voltage measurement in memory devices using ferroelectric polymer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nguyen, Chien A.; Lee, Pooi See

    2006-01-01

    Application of thin polymer film as storing mean for non-volatile memory devices is investigated. Capacitance-voltage (C-V) measurement of metal-ferroelectric-metal device using ferroelectric copolymer P(VDF-TrFE) as dielectric layer shows stable 'butter-fly' curve. The two peaks in C-V measurement corresponding to the largest capacitance are coincidental at the coercive voltages that give rise to zero polarization in the polarization hysteresis measurement. By comparing data of C-V and P-E measurement, a correlation between two types of hysteresis is established in which it reveals simultaneous electrical processes occurring inside the device. These processes are caused by the response of irreversible and reversible polarization to the applied electric field that can be used to present a memory window. The memory effect of ferroelectric copolymer is further demonstrated for fabricating polymeric non-volatile memory devices using metal-ferroelectric-insulator-semiconductor structure (MFIS). By applying different sweeping voltages at the gate, bidirectional flat-band voltage shift is observed in the ferroelectric capacitor. The asymmetrical shift after negative sweeping is resulted from charge accumulation at the surface of Si substrate caused by the dipole direction in the polymer layer. The effect is reversed for positive voltage sweeping.

  19. Ferroelectric field-effect transistors based on solution-processed electrochemically exfoliated graphene

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Heidler, Jonas; Yang, Sheng; Feng, Xinliang; Müllen, Klaus; Asadi, Kamal

    2018-06-01

    Memories based on graphene that could be mass produced using low-cost methods have not yet received much attention. Here we demonstrate graphene ferroelectric (dual-gate) field effect transistors. The graphene has been obtained using electrochemical exfoliation of graphite. Field-effect transistors are realized using a monolayer of graphene flakes deposited by the Langmuir-Blodgett protocol. Ferroelectric field effect transistor memories are realized using a random ferroelectric copolymer poly(vinylidenefluoride-co-trifluoroethylene) in a top gated geometry. The memory transistors reveal ambipolar behaviour with both electron and hole accumulation channels. We show that the non-ferroelectric bottom gate can be advantageously used to tune the on/off ratio.

  20. Tetragonal CH3NH3PbI3 is ferroelectric

    PubMed Central

    Bar-Elli, Omri; Meirzadeh, Elena; Kaslasi, Hadar; Peleg, Yagel; Hodes, Gary; Lubomirsky, Igor; Oron, Dan; Ehre, David; Cahen, David

    2017-01-01

    Halide perovskite (HaP) semiconductors are revolutionizing photovoltaic (PV) solar energy conversion by showing remarkable performance of solar cells made with HaPs, especially tetragonal methylammonium lead triiodide (MAPbI3). In particular, the low voltage loss of these cells implies a remarkably low recombination rate of photogenerated carriers. It was suggested that low recombination can be due to the spatial separation of electrons and holes, a possibility if MAPbI3 is a semiconducting ferroelectric, which, however, requires clear experimental evidence. As a first step, we show that, in operando, MAPbI3 (unlike MAPbBr3) is pyroelectric, which implies it can be ferroelectric. The next step, proving it is (not) ferroelectric, is challenging, because of the material’s relatively high electrical conductance (a consequence of an optical band gap suitable for PV conversion) and low stability under high applied bias voltage. This excludes normal measurements of a ferroelectric hysteresis loop, to prove ferroelectricity’s hallmark switchable polarization. By adopting an approach suitable for electrically leaky materials as MAPbI3, we show here ferroelectric hysteresis from well-characterized single crystals at low temperature (still within the tetragonal phase, which is stable at room temperature). By chemical etching, we also can image the structural fingerprint for ferroelectricity, polar domains, periodically stacked along the polar axis of the crystal, which, as predicted by theory, scale with the overall crystal size. We also succeeded in detecting clear second harmonic generation, direct evidence for the material’s noncentrosymmetry. We note that the material’s ferroelectric nature, can, but need not be important in a PV cell at room temperature. PMID:28588141

  1. Ferroelectric Fluid Flow Control Valve

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Jalink, Antony, Jr. (Inventor); Hellbaum, Richard F. (Inventor); Rohrbach, Wayne W. (Inventor)

    1999-01-01

    An active valve is controlled and driven by external electrical actuation of a ferroelectric actuator to provide for improved passage of the fluid during certain time periods and to provide positive closure of the valve during other time periods. The valve provides improved passage in the direction of flow and positive closure in the direction against the flow. The actuator is a dome shaped internally prestressed ferroelectric actuator having a curvature, said dome shaped actuator having a rim and an apex. and a dome height measured from a plane through said rim said apex that varies with an electric voltage applied between an inside and an outside surface of said dome shaped actuator.

  2. Active subspace uncertainty quantification for a polydomain ferroelectric phase-field model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Leon, Lider S.; Smith, Ralph C.; Miles, Paul; Oates, William S.

    2018-03-01

    Quantum-informed ferroelectric phase field models capable of predicting material behavior, are necessary for facilitating the development and production of many adaptive structures and intelligent systems. Uncertainty is present in these models, given the quantum scale at which calculations take place. A necessary analysis is to determine how the uncertainty in the response can be attributed to the uncertainty in the model inputs or parameters. A second analysis is to identify active subspaces within the original parameter space, which quantify directions in which the model response varies most dominantly, thus reducing sampling effort and computational cost. In this investigation, we identify an active subspace for a poly-domain ferroelectric phase-field model. Using the active variables as our independent variables, we then construct a surrogate model and perform Bayesian inference. Once we quantify the uncertainties in the active variables, we obtain uncertainties for the original parameters via an inverse mapping. The analysis provides insight into how active subspace methodologies can be used to reduce computational power needed to perform Bayesian inference on model parameters informed by experimental or simulated data.

  3. Impact of semiconducting electrodes on the electroresistance of ferroelectric tunnel junctions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Asa, M.; Bertacco, R.

    2018-02-01

    Ferroelectric tunnel junctions are promising candidates for the realization of energy-efficient digital memories and analog memcomputing devices. In this work, we investigate the impact of a semiconducting layer in series to the junction on the sign of electroresistance. To this scope, we compare tunnel junctions fabricated out of Pt/BaTiO3/La1/3Sr2/3MnO3 (LSMO) and Pt/BaTiO3/Nb:SrTiO3 (Nb:STO) heterostructures, displaying an opposite sign of the electroresistance. By capacitance-voltage profiling, we observe a behavior typical of Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor tunnel devices in both cases but compatible with the opposite sign of charge carriers in the semiconducting layer. While Nb:STO displays the expected n-type semiconducting character, metallic LSMO develops an interfacial p-type semiconducting layer. The different types of carriers at the semiconducting interfaces and the modulation of the depleted region by the ferroelectric charge have a deep impact on electroresistance, possibly accounting for the different sign observed in the two systems.

  4. Ferroelectric transistors with monolayer molybdenum disulfide and ultra-thin aluminum-doped hafnium oxide

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yap, Wui Chung; Jiang, Hao; Liu, Jialun; Xia, Qiangfei; Zhu, Wenjuan

    2017-07-01

    In this letter, we demonstrate ferroelectric memory devices with monolayer molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) as the channel material and aluminum (Al)-doped hafnium oxide (HfO2) as the ferroelectric gate dielectric. Metal-ferroelectric-metal capacitors with 16 nm thick Al-doped HfO2 are fabricated, and a remnant polarization of 3 μC/cm2 under a program/erase voltage of 5 V is observed. The capability of potential 10 years data retention was estimated using extrapolation of the experimental data. Ferroelectric transistors based on embedded ferroelectric HfO2 and MoS2 grown by chemical vapor deposition are fabricated. Clockwise hysteresis is observed at low program/erase voltages due to slow bulk traps located near the 2D/dielectric interface, while counterclockwise hysteresis is observed at high program/erase voltages due to ferroelectric polarization. In addition, the endurances of the devices are tested, and the effects associated with ferroelectric materials, such as the wake-up effect and polarization fatigue, are observed. Reliable writing/reading in MoS2/Al-doped HfO2 ferroelectric transistors over 2 × 104 cycles is achieved. This research can potentially lead to advances of two-dimensional (2D) materials in low-power logic and memory applications.

  5. Static and Dynamic Properties of Ferroelectric Thin Film Memories.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Duiker, Hendrik Matthew

    Several properties of ferroelectric thin-film memories have been modeled. First, it has been observed experimentally that the bulk phase KNO_3 has a first-order phase transition, and that the transition temperature of KNO_3 thin-films increases as the thickness of the film is decreased. A Landau theory of first-order phase transitions in bulk systems has been generalized by adding surface terms to the free energy expansion to account for these transition properties. The model successfully describes the observed transition properties and predicts the existence of films in which the surfaces are ordered at temperatures higher than the bulk transition temperature. Second, the Avrami model of polarization-reversal kinetics has been modified to describe the following cases: ferroelectrics composed of a large number of small grains; ferroelectric thin-films in which nucleation occurs at the surfaces, not in the bulk; ferroelectrics in which long-range dipolar interactions significantly affect the nucleation rate; and non-square wave switching pulses. The models were verified by applying them to the results of two-dimensional Ising model simulations. It was shown that the models allow the possibility of directly obtaining microscopic parameters, such as the nucleation rate and domain wall velocity, from bulk measurements. Finally, a model describing the fatigue of ferroelectric memories has been developed. As a ferroelectric memory fatigues the spontaneous polarization per unit volume decreases, the switching time decreases, and eventually the memory "shorts out" and becomes conducting. The model assumes the following: during each polarization reversal the film undergoes, every unit cell in the film has a chance of "degrading" and thus losing an ion. Degraded cells no longer contribute to the polarization. The ions are allowed to diffuse to the surfaces of the film and form, with other ions, conducting dendrites which grow into the bulk of the film. Computer simulations

  6. Alloying n-Butylamine into CsPbBr3 to Give a Two-Dimensional Bilayered Perovskite Ferroelectric Material.

    PubMed

    Wu, Zhenyue; Ji, Chengmin; Li, Lina; Kong, Jintao; Sun, Zhihua; Zhao, Sangen; Wang, Sasa; Hong, Maochun; Luo, Junhua

    2018-05-11

    Cesium-lead halide perovskites (e.g. CsPbBr 3 ) have gained attention because of their rich physical properties, but their bulk ferroelectricity remains unexplored. Herein, by alloying flexible organic cations into the cubic CsPbBr 3 , we design the first cesium-based two-dimensional (2D) perovskite ferroelectric material with both inorganic alkali metal and organic cations, (C 4 H 9 NH 3 ) 2 CsPb 2 Br 7 (1). Strikingly, 1 shows a high Curie temperature (T c =412 K) above that of BaTiO 3 (ca. 393 K) and notable spontaneous polarization (ca. 4.2 μC cm -2 ), triggered by not only the ordering of organic cations but also atomic displacement of inorganic Cs + ions. To our knowledge, such a 2D bilayered Cs + -based metal-halide perovskite ferroelectric material with inorganic and organic cations is unprecedented. 1 also shows photoelectric semiconducting behavior with large "on/off" ratios of photoconductivity (>10 3 ). © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  7. Molecular Catalysis at Polarized Interfaces Created by Ferroelectric BaTiO3 (Postprint)

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2017-02-06

    product ratio to 4.5 : 1.0. Next, 4b was attached to various ferroelectric and non-ferroelectric oxides studied . Reactions performed with 2 mM 1 and...interfaces without applying a voltage. We studied the effects of ferroelectric oxides on the selectivity of an Rh porphyrin-catalyzed carbene...rearrangement. The addition of ferroelectric BaTiO3 nanoparticles to the reaction solution changed the product ratio in the same direction and by a similar

  8. PLL jitter reduction by utilizing a ferroelectric capacitor as a VCO timing element.

    PubMed

    Pauls, Greg; Kalkur, Thottam S

    2007-06-01

    Ferroelectric capacitors have steadily been integrated into semiconductor processes due to their potential as storage elements within memory devices. Polarization reversal within ferroelectric capacitors creates a high nonlinear dielectric constant along with a hysteresis profile. Due to these attributes, a phase-locked loop (PLL), when based on a ferroelectric capacitor, has the advantage of reduced cycle-to-cycle jitter. PLLs based on ferroelectric capacitors represent a new research area for reduction of oscillator jitter.

  9. Theoretical Methods of Domain Structures in Ultrathin Ferroelectric Films: A Review

    PubMed Central

    Liu, Jianyi; Chen, Weijin; Wang, Biao; Zheng, Yue

    2014-01-01

    This review covers methods and recent developments of the theoretical study of domain structures in ultrathin ferroelectric films. The review begins with an introduction to some basic concepts and theories (e.g., polarization and its modern theory, ferroelectric phase transition, domain formation, and finite size effects, etc.) that are relevant to the study of domain structures in ultrathin ferroelectric films. Basic techniques and recent progress of a variety of important approaches for domain structure simulation, including first-principles calculation, molecular dynamics, Monte Carlo simulation, effective Hamiltonian approach and phase field modeling, as well as multiscale simulation are then elaborated. For each approach, its important features and relative merits over other approaches for modeling domain structures in ultrathin ferroelectric films are discussed. Finally, we review recent theoretical studies on some important issues of domain structures in ultrathin ferroelectric films, with an emphasis on the effects of interfacial electrostatics, boundary conditions and external loads. PMID:28788198

  10. Performance Measurement of a Multi-Level/Analog Ferroelectric Memory Device Design

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    MacLeod, Todd C.; Phillips, Thomas A.; Ho, Fat D.

    2007-01-01

    Increasing the memory density and utilizing the unique characteristics of ferroelectric devices is important in making ferroelectric memory devices more desirable to the consumer. This paper describes the characterization of a design that allows multiple levels to be stored in a ferroelectric based memory cell. It can be used to store multiple bits or analog values in a high speed nonvolatile memory. The design utilizes the hysteresis characteristic of ferroelectric transistors to store an analog value in the memory cell. The design also compensates for the decay of the polarization of the ferroelectric material over time. This is done by utilizing a pair of ferroelectric transistors to store the data. One transistor is used a reference to determinethe amount of decay that has occurred since the pair was programmed. The second transistor stores the analog value as a polarization value between zero and saturated. The design allows digital data to be stored as multiple bits in each memory cell. The number of bits per cell that can be stored will vary with the decay rate of the ferroelectric transistors and the repeatability of polarization between transistors. This paper presents measurements of an actual prototype memory cell. This prototype is not a complete implementation of a device, but instead, a prototype of the storage and retrieval portion of an actual device. The performance of this prototype is presented with the projected performance of the overall device. This memory design will be useful because it allows higher memory density, compensates for the environmental and ferroelectric aging processes, allows analog values to be directly stored in memory, compensates for the thermal and radiation environments associated with space operations, and relies only on existing technologies.

  11. Modeling and Implementation of HfO2-based Ferroelectric Tunnel Junctions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pringle, Spencer Allen

    HfO2-based ferroelectric tunnel junctions (FTJs) represent a unique opportunity as both a next-generation digital non-volatile memory and as synapse devices in braininspired logic systems, owing to their higher reliability compared to filamentary resistive random-access memory (ReRAM) and higher speed and lower power consumption compared to competing devices, including phase-change memory (PCM) and state-of-the-art FTJ. Ferroelectrics are often easier to deposit and have simpler material structure than films for magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs). Ferroelectric HfO2 also enables complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) compatibility, since lead zirconate titanate (PZT) and BaTiO3-based FTJs often are not. No other groups have yet demonstrated a HfO2-based FTJ (to best of the author's knowledge) or applied it to a suitable system. For such devices to be useful, system designers require models based on both theoretical physical analysis and experimental results of fabricated devices in order to confidently design control systems. Both the CMOS circuitry and FTJs must then be designed in layout and fabricated on the same die. This work includes modeling of proposed device structures using a custom python script, which calculates theoretical potential barrier heights as a function of material properties and corresponding current densities (ranging from 8x103 to 3x10-2 A/cm 2 with RHRS/RLRS ranging from 5x105 to 6, depending on ferroelectric thickness). These equations were then combined with polynomial fits of experimental timing data and implemented in a Verilog-A behavioral analog model in Cadence Virtuoso. The author proposes tristate CMOS control systems, and circuits, for implementation of FTJ devices as digital memory and presents simulated performance. Finally, a process flow for fabrication of FTJ devices with CMOS is presented. This work has therefore enabled the fabrication of FTJ devices at RIT and the continued investigation of them as applied to any

  12. Self-consistent theory of nanodomain formation on non-polar surfaces of ferroelectrics

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Morozovska, Anna N.; Obukhovskii, Vyacheslav; Fomichov, Evhen

    2016-04-28

    We propose a self-consistent theoretical approach capable of describing the features of the anisotropic nanodomain formation induced by a strongly inhomogeneous electric field of a charged scanning probe microscopy tip on nonpolar cuts of ferroelectrics. We obtained that a threshold field, previously regarded as an isotropic parameter, is an anisotropic function that is specified from the polar properties and lattice pinning anisotropy of a given ferroelectric in a self-consistent way. The proposed method for the calculation of the anisotropic threshold field is not material specific, thus the field should be anisotropic in all ferroelectrics with the spontaneous polarization anisotropy alongmore » the main crystallographic directions. The most evident examples are uniaxial ferroelectrics, layered ferroelectric perovskites, and low-symmetry incommensurate ferroelectrics. Obtained results quantitatively describe the differences at several times in the nanodomain length experimentally observed on X and Y cuts of LiNbO3 and can give insight into the anisotropic dynamics of nanoscale polarization reversal in strongly inhomogeneous electric fields.« less

  13. Observation of microscopic dynamics of phase transition in ferroelectric crystals using fluorescence spectroscopy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sedarous, Salah S.

    1996-03-01

    Despite the large quantity of data on the macroscopic changes in the physical properties of ferroelectric crystals during phase transition, there is a continued need for understanding their microscopic origin. Here we describe a novel method for examining the microscopic dynamics of the ferroelectric phase transition using time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy. The fluorescence properties of organic chromophores embedded in the ferroelectric crystals triglycine sulfate and potassium dihydrogen phosphate are altered in response to the structural phase transitions. The lifetime and the fractional intensity decay show large changes around Tc and the order of the phase transition is readily recovered (first or second order). To explain the fluorescence lifetime data we present a novel theoretical model based on the concept of polaritons in these crystals. Deactivation of the excited state chromophore involves the participation of the vibrational modes of the chromophore. These modes are coupled to the polarization dispersion of the matrix and facilitate the coupling of the excited state to the collective modes in the crystal. The net result is the flow of energy from the excited state chromophore to the lattice phonon. The data indicate that changes in fluorescence lifetime can be used to examine directly the collective modes in these crystals. Our work provides important insight into the emergence of macroscopic phase transition behavior out of microscopic fluctuations.

  14. Doping effect on ferromagnetism, ferroelectricity and dielectric constant in sol-gel derived Bi1-xNdxFe1-yCoyO3 nanoceramics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Das, Sananda; Sahoo, R. C.; Bera, K. P.; Nath, T. K.

    2018-04-01

    Doping at the post-transition metal site by trivalent rare-earth ions and 3d transition metal site by transition metal ions in perovskite lattice has observed a variety of magnetic and electronic orders with spatially correlated charge, spin and orbital degrees of freedom. Here, we report large ferromagnetism and enhanced dielectric constant (at ∼100 Hz) in chemically synthesized single phase multiferroic Bi1-xNdxFe1-yCoyO3 (x = 0, 0.10; y = 0, 0.10) nanoparticles (average particles size ∼45 nm). We have also examined the ferroelectric nature of our chemically synthesized samples. The Rietveld refinement of the XRD data reveals the structural symmetry breaking from distorted rhombohedral R3c structure of BiFeO3 to the triclinic P1 structure in Bi0.9Nd0.1Fe0.9Co0.1O3 (BNFCO) without having any iron rich impurity phase. The magnetization in these nanoceramics most likely originates from the coexistence of mixed valence states of Fe ion (Fe2+ and Fe3+). A high room temperature dielectric constant (∼1050) has been observed at 100 Hz of BNFCO sample. The frequency dependent anomalies near Neel temperature of antiferromagnet in temperature variation of dielectric study have been observed for all the doped and co-doped samples exhibiting typical characteristic of relaxor ferroelectrics. A spectacular enhancement of remanent magnetization MR (∼7.2 emu/gm) and noticeably large coercivity HC (∼17.4 kOe) at 5 K have been observed in this BNFCO sample. Such emergence of ferromagnetic ordering indicates the canting of the surface spins at the surface boundaries because of the reduction of particle size in nanodimension. We have also observed P-E hysteresis loops with a remanent polarization of 26 μC/cm2 and coercive field of 5.6 kV/cm of this sample at room temperature. From impedance spectroscopy study the estimated activation energy of 0.41 eV suggests the semiconducting nature of our nanoceramic BNCFO sample.

  15. Theoretical model for thin ferroelectric films and the multilayer structures based on them

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Starkov, A. S.; Pakhomov, O. V.; Starkov, I. A.

    2013-06-01

    A modified Weiss mean-field theory is used to study the dependence of the properties of a thin ferroelectric film on its thickness. The possibility of introducing gradient terms into the thermodynamic potential is analyzed using the calculus of variations. An integral equation is introduced to generalize the well-known Langevin equation to the case of the boundaries of a ferroelectric. An analysis of this equation leads to the existence of a transition layer at the interface between ferroelectrics or a ferroelectric and a dielectric. The permittivity of this layer is shown to depend on the electric field direction even if the ferroelectrics in contact are homogeneous. The results obtained in terms of the Weiss model are compared with the results of the models based on the correlation effect and the presence of a dielectric layer at the boundary of a ferroelectric and with experimental data.

  16. Giant energy density and high efficiency achieved in bismuth ferrite-based film capacitors via domain engineering.

    PubMed

    Pan, Hao; Ma, Jing; Ma, Ji; Zhang, Qinghua; Liu, Xiaozhi; Guan, Bo; Gu, Lin; Zhang, Xin; Zhang, Yu-Jun; Li, Liangliang; Shen, Yang; Lin, Yuan-Hua; Nan, Ce-Wen

    2018-05-08

    Developing high-performance film dielectrics for capacitive energy storage has been a great challenge for modern electrical devices. Despite good results obtained in lead titanate-based dielectrics, lead-free alternatives are strongly desirable due to environmental concerns. Here we demonstrate that giant energy densities of ~70 J cm -3 , together with high efficiency as well as excellent cycling and thermal stability, can be achieved in lead-free bismuth ferrite-strontium titanate solid-solution films through domain engineering. It is revealed that the incorporation of strontium titanate transforms the ferroelectric micro-domains of bismuth ferrite into highly-dynamic polar nano-regions, resulting in a ferroelectric to relaxor-ferroelectric transition with concurrently improved energy density and efficiency. Additionally, the introduction of strontium titanate greatly improves the electrical insulation and breakdown strength of the films by suppressing the formation of oxygen vacancies. This work opens up a feasible and propagable route, i.e., domain engineering, to systematically develop new lead-free dielectrics for energy storage.

  17. On the persistence of polar domains in ultrathin ferroelectric capacitors.

    PubMed

    Zubko, Pavlo; Lu, Haidong; Bark, Chung-Wung; Martí, Xavi; Santiso, José; Eom, Chang-Beom; Catalan, Gustau; Gruverman, Alexei

    2017-07-19

    The instability of ferroelectric ordering in ultra-thin films is one of the most important fundamental issues pertaining realization of a number of electronic devices with enhanced functionality, such as ferroelectric and multiferroic tunnel junctions or ferroelectric field effect transistors. In this paper, we investigate the polarization state of archetypal ultrathin (several nanometres) ferroelectric heterostructures: epitaxial single-crystalline BaTiO 3 films sandwiched between the most habitual perovskite electrodes, SrRuO 3 , on top of the most used perovskite substrate, SrTiO 3 . We use a combination of piezoresponse force microscopy, dielectric measurements and structural characterization to provide conclusive evidence for the ferroelectric nature of the relaxed polarization state in ultrathin BaTiO 3 capacitors. We show that even the high screening efficiency of SrRuO 3 electrodes is still insufficient to stabilize polarization in SrRuO 3 /BaTiO 3 /SrRuO 3 heterostructures at room temperature. We identify the key role of domain wall motion in determining the macroscopic electrical properties of ultrathin capacitors and discuss their dielectric response in the light of the recent interest in negative capacitance behaviour.

  18. Spontaneous ferroelectricity in strained low-temperature monoclinic Fe3O4: A first-principles study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Xiang; Mi, Wen-Bo

    2018-04-01

    As a single-phase multiferroic material, Fe3O4 exhibits spontaneous ferroelectric polarization below 38 K. However, the nature of the ferroelectricity in Fe3O4 and effect of external disturbances such as strain on it remains ambiguous. Here, the spontaneous ferroelectric polarization of low-temperature monoclinic Fe3O4 was investigated by first-principles calculations. The pseudo-centrosymmetric Fe B42-Fe B43 pair has a different valence state. The noncentrosymmetric charge distribution results in ferroelectric polarization. The initial ferroelectric polarization direction is in the - x and - z directions. The ferroelectricity along the y axis is limited owing to the symmetry of the Cc space group. Both the ionic displacement and charge separation at the Fe B42-Fe B43 pair are affected by strain, which further influences the spontaneous ferroelectric polarization of monoclinic Fe3O4. The ferroelectric polarization along the z axis exhibits an increase of 45.3% as the strain changes from 6% to -6%.

  19. Momentum-resolved observations of the phonon instability driving geometric improper ferroelectricity in yttrium manganite

    DOE PAGES

    Bansal, Dipanshu; Niedziela, Jennifer L.; Sinclair, Ryan; ...

    2018-01-02

    Magnetoelectrics offer tantalizing opportunities for devices coupling ferroelectricity and magnetism but remain difficult to realize. Breakthrough strategies could circumvent the mutually exclusive origins of magnetism and ferroelectricity by exploiting the interaction of multiple phonon modes in geometric improper and hybrid improper ferroelectrics. Yet, the proposed instability of a zone-boundary phonon mode, driving the emergence of ferroelectricity via coupling to a polar mode, remains to be directly observed. Here, we provide previously missing evidence for this scenario in the archetypal improper ferroelectric, yttrium manganite, through comprehensive scattering measurements of the atomic structure and phonons, supported with first-principles simulations. Our experiments andmore » theoretical modeling resolve the origin of the unusual temperature dependence of the polarization and rule out a reported double-step ferroelectric transition. These results emphasize the critical role of phonon anharmonicity in rationalizing lattice instabilities in improper ferroelectrics and show that including these effects in simulations could facilitate the design of magnetoelectrics.« less

  20. Momentum-resolved observations of the phonon instability driving geometric improper ferroelectricity in yttrium manganite

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Bansal, Dipanshu; Niedziela, Jennifer L.; Sinclair, Ryan

    Magnetoelectrics offer tantalizing opportunities for devices coupling ferroelectricity and magnetism but remain difficult to realize. Breakthrough strategies could circumvent the mutually exclusive origins of magnetism and ferroelectricity by exploiting the interaction of multiple phonon modes in geometric improper and hybrid improper ferroelectrics. Yet, the proposed instability of a zone-boundary phonon mode, driving the emergence of ferroelectricity via coupling to a polar mode, remains to be directly observed. Here, we provide previously missing evidence for this scenario in the archetypal improper ferroelectric, yttrium manganite, through comprehensive scattering measurements of the atomic structure and phonons, supported with first-principles simulations. Our experiments andmore » theoretical modeling resolve the origin of the unusual temperature dependence of the polarization and rule out a reported double-step ferroelectric transition. These results emphasize the critical role of phonon anharmonicity in rationalizing lattice instabilities in improper ferroelectrics and show that including these effects in simulations could facilitate the design of magnetoelectrics.« less

  1. Momentum-resolved observations of the phonon instability driving geometric improper ferroelectricity in yttrium manganite.

    PubMed

    Bansal, Dipanshu; Niedziela, Jennifer L; Sinclair, Ryan; Garlea, V Ovidiu; Abernathy, Douglas L; Chi, Songxue; Ren, Yang; Zhou, Haidong; Delaire, Olivier

    2018-01-02

    Magnetoelectrics offer tantalizing opportunities for devices coupling ferroelectricity and magnetism but remain difficult to realize. Breakthrough strategies could circumvent the mutually exclusive origins of magnetism and ferroelectricity by exploiting the interaction of multiple phonon modes in geometric improper and hybrid improper ferroelectrics. Yet, the proposed instability of a zone-boundary phonon mode, driving the emergence of ferroelectricity via coupling to a polar mode, remains to be directly observed. Here, we provide previously missing evidence for this scenario in the archetypal improper ferroelectric, yttrium manganite, through comprehensive scattering measurements of the atomic structure and phonons, supported with first-principles simulations. Our experiments and theoretical modeling resolve the origin of the unusual temperature dependence of the polarization and rule out a reported double-step ferroelectric transition. These results emphasize the critical role of phonon anharmonicity in rationalizing lattice instabilities in improper ferroelectrics and show that including these effects in simulations could facilitate the design of magnetoelectrics.

  2. Critical scaling analysis for displacive-type organic ferroelectrics around ferroelectric transition

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ding, L. J.

    2017-04-01

    The critical scaling properties of displacive-type organic ferroelectrics, in which the ferroelectric-paraelectric transition is induced by spin-Peierls instability, are investigated by Green's function theory through the modified Arrott plot, critical isothermal and electrocaloric effect (ECE) analysis around the transition temperature TC. It is shown that the electric entropy change - ΔS follows a power-law dependence of electric field E : - ΔS ∼En with n satisfying the Franco equation n(TC) = 1 +(β - 1) /(β + γ) = 0.618, wherein the obtained critical exponents β = 0.440 and γ = 1.030 are not only corroborated by Kouvel-Fisher method, but also confirm the Widom critical relation δ = 1 + γ / β. The self-consistency and reliability of the obtained critical exponents are further verified by the scaling equations. Additionally, a universal curve of - ΔS is constructed with rescaling temperature and electric field, so that one can extrapolate the ECE in a certain temperature and electric field range, which would be helpful in designing controlled electric refrigeration devices.

  3. Toroidal ferroelectricity in PbTiO3 nanoparticles.

    PubMed

    Stachiotti, M G; Sepliarsky, M

    2011-04-01

    We report from first-principles-based atomistic simulations that ferroelectricity can be sustained in PbTiO(3) nanoparticles of only a few lattice constants in size as a result of a toroidal ordering. We find that size-induced topological transformations lead to the stabilization of a ferroelectric bubble by the alignment of vortex cores along a closed path. These transformations, which are driven by the aspect ratio of the nanostructure, change the topology of the polarization field, producing a rich variety of polar configurations. For sufficiently flat nanostructures, a multibubble state bridges the gap between 0D nanodots and 2D ultrathin films. The thermal properties of the ferroelectric bubbles indicate that this state is suitable for the development of nanometric devices. © 2011 American Physical Society

  4. WFL: Microwave Applications of Thin Ferroelectric Films

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Romanofsky, Robert

    2013-01-01

    We have developed a family of tunable microwave circuits, operating from X- through Ka-band, based on laser ablated BaxSr1-xTiO films on lanthanum aluminate and magnesium oxide substrates. Circuits include voltage controlled oscillators, filters, phase shifters and antennas. A review of the basic theory of operation of these devices will be presented along with measured performance. Emphasis has been on low-loss phase shifters to enable a new phased array architecture. The critical role of phase shifter loss and transient response in reflectarray antennas will be discussed. The Ferroelectric Reflectarray Critical Components Space Experiment was launched on the penultimate Space Shuttle, STS-134, in May of 2011. It included a bank of ferroelectric phase shifters with two different stoichiometries as well as ancillary electronics. The experiment package and status will be reported. In addition, unusual results of a Van der Pauw measurement involving a ferroelectric film grown on buffered high resisitivity silicon will be discussed.

  5. Relaxation of ferroelectric states in 2D distributions of quantum dots: EELS simulation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cortés, C. M.; Meza-Montes, L.; Moctezuma, R. E.; Carrillo, J. L.

    2016-06-01

    The relaxation time of collective electronic states in a 2D distribution of quantum dots is investigated theoretically by simulating EELS experiments. From the numerical calculation of the probability of energy loss of an electron beam, traveling parallel to the distribution, it is possible to estimate the damping time of ferroelectric-like states. We generate this collective response of the distribution by introducing a mean field interaction among the quantum dots, and then, the model is extended incorporating effects of long-range correlations through a Bragg-Williams approximation. The behavior of the dielectric function, the energy loss function, and the relaxation time of ferroelectric-like states is then investigated as a function of the temperature of the distribution and the damping constant of the electronic states in the single quantum dots. The robustness of the trends and tendencies of our results indicate that this scheme of analysis can guide experimentalists to develop tailored quantum dots distributions for specific applications.

  6. A new method to study ferroelectrics using the remanent Henkel plots

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vopson, Melvin M.

    2018-05-01

    Analysis of experimental curves constructed from dc demagnetization and isothermal remanent magnetization known as Henkel and delta M plots, have served for over 53 years as an important tool for characterization of interactions in ferromagnets. In this article we address the question whether the same experimental technique could be applied to the study of ferroelectric systems. The successful measurement of the equivalent dc depolarisation and isothermal remanent polarization curves and the construction of the Henkel and delta P plots for ferroelectrics is reported here. Full measurement protocol is provided together with experimental examples for two ferroelectric ceramic samples. This new measurement technique is an invaluable experimental tool that could be used to further advance our understanding of ferroelectric materials and their applications.

  7. Ferroelectric switching of band alignments in LSMO/PZT/Co multiferroic tunnel junctions: an ab initio study.

    PubMed

    Imam, M; Stojić, N; Binggeli, N

    2017-08-04

    Band alignments in ferroelectric tunnel junctions (FTJs) are expected to play a critical role in determining the charge transport across the tunneling barrier. In general, however, the interface band discontinuities and their polarization dependence are not well known in these systems. Using a first-principles density-functional-theory approach, we explore the ferroelectric (FE) polarization dependence of the band alignments in [Formula: see text] (LSMO/PZT/Co) multiferroic tunnel junctions, for which recent experiments indicated an ON/OFF conductivity behavior upon switching the PZT FE polarization. Our results on the pseudomorphic defect-free LSMO/PZT/Co FTJs evidence a major FE switching effect on the band discontinuities at both interfaces. Based on the changes in the band alignments, we provide a possible explanation for the observed trends in the resistive switching.

  8. Ferroelectric Liquid Crystals: Synthesis and Thermal Behavior of Optically Active, Three-Ring Schiff Bases and Salicylaldimines.

    PubMed

    Veerabhadraswamy, Bhyranalyar N; Rao, Doddamane S Shankar; Yelamaggad, Channabasaveshwar V

    2018-04-16

    The chiral ferroelectric smectic C (SmC*) phase, characterized by a helical superstructure, has been well exploited in developing high-resolution microdisplays that have been effectively employed in the fabrication of a wide varieties of portable devices. Although, an overwhelming number of optically active (chiral) liquid crystals (LCs) exhibiting a SmC* phase have been designed and synthesized, the search for new systems continues so as to realize mesogens capable of meeting technical necessities and specifications for their end-use. In continuation of our research work in this direction, herein we report the design, synthesis, and thermal behavior of twenty new optically active, three-ring calamitic LCs belonging to four series. The first two series comprise five pairs of enantiomeric Schiff bases whereas the other two series are composed of five pairs of enantiomeric salicylaldimines. In each pair of optical isomers, the configuration of a chiral center in one stereoisomer is opposite to that of the analogous center in the other isomer as they are derived from (3 S)-3,7-dimethyloctyloxy and (3 R)-3,7-dimethyloctyloxy tails. To probe the structure-property correlations in each series, the length of the n-alkoxy tail situated at the other end of the mesogens has been varied from n-octyloxy to n-dodecyloxy. The measurement of optical activity of these chiral mesogens was carried out by recording their specific rotations. As expected, enantiomers rotate plane polarized light in the opposite direction but by the same magnitude. The thermal behavior of the compounds was established by using a combination of optical polarizing microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and powder X-ray diffraction. These complementary techniques demonstrate the existence of the expected, thermodynamically stable, chiral smectic C (SmC*) LC phase besides blue phase I/II (BPI or BPII) and chiral nematic (N*) phase. However, as noted in our previous analogous study, the vast

  9. Space-charge-mediated anomalous ferroelectric switching in P(VDF-TrEE) polymer films.

    PubMed

    Hu, Weijin; Wang, Zhihong; Du, Yuanmin; Zhang, Xi-Xiang; Wu, Tom

    2014-11-12

    We report on the switching dynamics of P(VDF-TrEE) copolymer devices and the realization of additional substable ferroelectric states via modulation of the coupling between polarizations and space charges. The space-charge-limited current is revealed to be the dominant leakage mechanism in such organic ferroelectric devices, and electrostatic interactions due to space charges lead to the emergence of anomalous ferroelectric loops. The reliable control of ferroelectric switching in P(VDF-TrEE) copolymers opens doors toward engineering advanced organic memories with tailored switching characteristics.

  10. Efficiency of thermoelectric conversion in ferroelectric film capacitive structures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Volpyas, V. A.; Kozyrev, A. B.; Soldatenkov, O. I.; Tepina, E. R.

    2012-06-01

    Thermal heating/cooling conditions for metal-insulator-metal structures based on barium strontium titanate ferroelectric films are studied by numerical methods with the aim of their application in capacitive thermoelectric converters. A correlation between the thermal and capacitive properties of thin-film ferroelectric capacitors is considered. The time of the temperature response and the rate of variation of the capacitive properties of the metal-insulator-metal structures are determined by analyzing the dynamics of thermal processes. Thermophysical calculations are carried out that take into consideration the real electrical properties of barium strontium titanate ferroelectric films and allow estimation of thermal modulation parameters and the efficiency of capacitive thermoelectric converters on their basis.

  11. Domain topology and domain switching kinetics in a hybrid improper ferroelectric

    PubMed Central

    Huang, F. -T.; Xue, F.; Gao, B.; Wang, L. H.; Luo, X.; Cai, W.; Lu, X. -Z.; Rondinelli, J. M.; Chen, L. Q.; Cheong, S. -W.

    2016-01-01

    Charged polar interfaces such as charged ferroelectric walls or heterostructured interfaces of ZnO/(Zn,Mg)O and LaAlO3/SrTiO3, across which the normal component of electric polarization changes suddenly, can host large two-dimensional conduction. Charged ferroelectric walls, which are energetically unfavourable in general, were found to be mysteriously abundant in hybrid improper ferroelectric (Ca,Sr)3Ti2O7 crystals. From the exploration of antiphase boundaries in bilayer-perovskites, here we discover that each of four polarization-direction states is degenerate with two antiphase domains, and these eight structural variants form a Z4 × Z2 domain structure with Z3 vortices and five distinct types of domain walls, whose topology is directly relevant to the presence of abundant charged walls. We also discover a zipper-like nature of antiphase boundaries, which are the reversible creation/annihilation centres of pairs of two types of ferroelectric walls (and also Z3-vortex pairs) in 90° and 180° polarization switching. Our results demonstrate the unexpectedly rich nature of hybrid improper ferroelectricity. PMID:27215944

  12. Conduction phenomenon of Al{sup 3+} modified lead free (Na{sub 0.5}Bi{sub 0.5}){sub 0.92}Ba{sub 0.08}TiO{sub 3} electroceramics

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Borkar, Hitesh; Kumar, Ashok, E-mail: ashok553@nplindia.org

    2016-05-23

    Choice of proper dopants at A or B-site of ABO{sub 3} perovskite structure can modify the morphotropic phase boundary (MPB), and hence functional properties of polar systems. The chemical nature of donor or acceptor will significantly influence the fundamental properties. Lead-free ferroelectrics have vast potential to replace the lead-based ceramics. The (Na{sub 0.5}Bi{sub 0.5}){sub 1-x}Ba{sub x}TiO{sub 3} (NBT-BT) (at x=0.08) near MPB with small substitution of trivalent cations (Al{sup 3+}) has been synthesized by solid state reaction route. The aim to choose the trivalent cations (Al{sup 3+}) was its relatively smaller radii than that of Bi{sup 3+} cations to developmore » the antipolar phases in the ferroelectric ceramic. Structural, morphological and elemental compositional analyses were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Secondary electron microscope (SEM) and Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDAX), respectively. Ferroelectric studies were carried out on various compositions of (Na{sub 0.46}Bi{sub 0.46-x}Al{sub x}Ba{sub 0.08})TiO{sub 3} (NBAT-BT) (x=0, 0.05, 0.07, 0.10) electroceramics. It was observed that with increase in concentration of Al the ferroelectricity state changes from soft to hard. Temperature dependent dielectric spectroscopy shows broad dielectric dispersion. The Al doping diminishes the relaxor behavior of NBT-BT ceramics. Impedance spectroscopy shows that electrical resistivity and relaxation frequency decreases with increase in Al-concentration. Modulus spectra indicate that Al significantly change the bulk capacitance of NBT-BT.« less

  13. Anti-Ferroelectric Ceramics for High Energy Density Capacitors.

    PubMed

    Chauhan, Aditya; Patel, Satyanarayan; Vaish, Rahul; Bowen, Chris R

    2015-11-25

    With an ever increasing dependence on electrical energy for powering modern equipment and electronics, research is focused on the development of efficient methods for the generation, storage and distribution of electrical power. In this regard, the development of suitable dielectric based solid-state capacitors will play a key role in revolutionizing modern day electronic and electrical devices. Among the popular dielectric materials, anti-ferroelectrics (AFE) display evidence of being a strong contender for future ceramic capacitors. AFE materials possess low dielectric loss, low coercive field, low remnant polarization, high energy density, high material efficiency, and fast discharge rates; all of these characteristics makes AFE materials a lucrative research direction. However, despite the evident advantages, there have only been limited attempts to develop this area. This article attempts to provide a focus to this area by presenting a timely review on the topic, on the relevant scientific advancements that have been made with respect to utilization and development of anti-ferroelectric materials for electric energy storage applications. The article begins with a general introduction discussing the need for high energy density capacitors, the present solutions being used to address this problem, and a brief discussion of various advantages of anti-ferroelectric materials for high energy storage applications. This is followed by a general description of anti-ferroelectricity and important anti-ferroelectric materials. The remainder of the paper is divided into two subsections, the first of which presents various physical routes for enhancing the energy storage density while the latter section describes chemical routes for enhanced storage density. This is followed by conclusions and future prospects and challenges which need to be addressed in this particular field.

  14. Anti-Ferroelectric Ceramics for High Energy Density Capacitors

    PubMed Central

    Chauhan, Aditya; Patel, Satyanarayan; Vaish, Rahul; Bowen, Chris R.

    2015-01-01

    With an ever increasing dependence on electrical energy for powering modern equipment and electronics, research is focused on the development of efficient methods for the generation, storage and distribution of electrical power. In this regard, the development of suitable dielectric based solid-state capacitors will play a key role in revolutionizing modern day electronic and electrical devices. Among the popular dielectric materials, anti-ferroelectrics (AFE) display evidence of being a strong contender for future ceramic capacitors. AFE materials possess low dielectric loss, low coercive field, low remnant polarization, high energy density, high material efficiency, and fast discharge rates; all of these characteristics makes AFE materials a lucrative research direction. However, despite the evident advantages, there have only been limited attempts to develop this area. This article attempts to provide a focus to this area by presenting a timely review on the topic, on the relevant scientific advancements that have been made with respect to utilization and development of anti-ferroelectric materials for electric energy storage applications. The article begins with a general introduction discussing the need for high energy density capacitors, the present solutions being used to address this problem, and a brief discussion of various advantages of anti-ferroelectric materials for high energy storage applications. This is followed by a general description of anti-ferroelectricity and important anti-ferroelectric materials. The remainder of the paper is divided into two subsections, the first of which presents various physical routes for enhancing the energy storage density while the latter section describes chemical routes for enhanced storage density. This is followed by conclusions and future prospects and challenges which need to be addressed in this particular field. PMID:28793694

  15. Defect-driven flexochemical coupling in thin ferroelectric films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Eliseev, Eugene A.; Vorotiahin, Ivan S.; Fomichov, Yevhen M.; Glinchuk, Maya D.; Kalinin, Sergei V.; Genenko, Yuri A.; Morozovska, Anna N.

    2018-01-01

    Using the Landau-Ginzburg-Devonshire theory, we considered the impact of the flexoelectrochemical coupling on the size effects in polar properties and phase transitions of thin ferroelectric films with a layer of elastic defects. We investigated a typical case, when defects fill a thin layer below the top film surface with a constant concentration creating an additional gradient of elastic fields. The defective surface of the film is not covered with an electrode, but instead with an ultrathin layer of ambient screening charges, characterized by a surface screening length. Obtained results revealed an unexpectedly strong effect of the joint action of Vegard stresses and flexoelectric effect (shortly flexochemical coupling) on the ferroelectric transition temperature, distribution of the spontaneous polarization and elastic fields, domain wall structure and period in thin PbTi O3 films containing a layer of elastic defects. A nontrivial result is the persistence of ferroelectricity at film thicknesses below 4 nm, temperatures lower than 350 K, and relatively high surface screening length (˜0.1 nm ) . The origin of this phenomenon is the flexoelectric coupling leading to the rebuilding of the domain structure in the film (namely the cross-over from c-domain stripes to a-type closure domains) when its thickness decreases below 4 nm. The ferroelectricity persistence is facilitated by negative Vegard effect. For positive Vegard effect, thicker films exhibit the appearance of pronounced maxima on the thickness dependence of the transition temperature, whose position and height can be controlled by the defect type and concentration. The revealed features may have important implications for miniaturization of ferroelectric-based devices.

  16. Three-dimensional imaging of vortex structure in a ferroelectric nanoparticle driven by an electric field.

    PubMed

    Karpov, D; Liu, Z; Rolo, T Dos Santos; Harder, R; Balachandran, P V; Xue, D; Lookman, T; Fohtung, E

    2017-08-17

    Topological defects of spontaneous polarization are extensively studied as templates for unique physical phenomena and in the design of reconfigurable electronic devices. Experimental investigations of the complex topologies of polarization have been limited to surface phenomena, which has restricted the probing of the dynamic volumetric domain morphology in operando. Here, we utilize Bragg coherent diffractive imaging of a single BaTiO 3 nanoparticle in a composite polymer/ferroelectric capacitor to study the behavior of a three-dimensional vortex formed due to competing interactions involving ferroelectric domains. Our investigation of the structural phase transitions under the influence of an external electric field shows a mobile vortex core exhibiting a reversible hysteretic transformation path. We also study the toroidal moment of the vortex under the action of the field. Our results open avenues for the study of the structure and evolution of polar vortices and other topological structures in operando in functional materials under cross field configurations.Imaging of topological states of matter such as vortex configurations has generally been limited to 2D surface effects. Here Karpov et al. study the volumetric structure and dynamics of a vortex core mediated by electric-field induced structural phase transition in a ferroelectric BaTiO 3 nanoparticle.

  17. Rational Design of Molecular Ferroelectric Materials and Nanostructures

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ducharme, Stephen

    2012-09-25

    The purpose of this project was to gain insight into the properties of molecular ferroelectrics through the detailed study of oligomer analogs of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF). By focusing on interactions at both the molecular level and the nanoscale level, we expect to gain improved understanding about the fundamental mechanism of ferroelectricity and its key properties. The research consisted of three complementary components: 1) Rational synthesis of VDF oligomers by Prof. Takacs' group; 2) Detailed structural and electrical studies of thin by Prof. Ducharme's Group; and 3) First-principles computational studies by DOE Lab Partner Dr. Serge Nakhman-son at Argonne National Laboratory.more » The main results of the work was a detailed understanding of the relationships between the molecular interactions and macroscopic phenomenology of fer-roelectricity VDF oligomers. This is valuable information supporting the development of im-proved electromechanical materials for, e.g., sonar, ultrasonic imaging, artificial muscles, and compliant actuators. Other potential applications include nonvolatile ferroelectric memories, heat-sensing imaging arrays, photovoltaic devices, and functional biomimetic materials. The pro-ject contributed to the training and professional development of undergraduate students and graduate students, post-doctoral assistants, and a high-school teacher. Project personnel took part in several outreach and education activities each year.« less

  18. Interrelationship between flexoelectricity and strain gradient elasticity in ferroelectric nanofilms: A phase field study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jiang, Limei; Xu, Xiaofei; Zhou, Yichun

    2016-12-01

    With the development of the integrated circuit technology and decreasing of the device size, ferroelectric films used in nano ferroelectric devices become thinner and thinner. Along with the downscaling of the ferroelectric film, there is an increasing influence of two strain gradient related terms. One is the strain gradient elasticity and the other one is flexoelectricity. To investigate the interrelationship between flexoelectricity and strain gradient elasticity and their combined effect on the domain structure in ferroelectric nanofilms, a phase field model of flexoelectricity and strain gradient elasticity on the ferroelectric domain evolution is developed based on Mindlin's theory of strain-gradient elasticity. Weak form is derived and implemented in finite element formulations for numerically solving the model equations. The simulation results show that upper bounds for flexoelectric coefficients can be enhanced by increasing strain gradient elasticity coefficients. While a large flexoelectricity that exceeds the upper bound can induce a transition from a ferroelectric state to a modulated/incommensurate state, a large enough strain gradient elasticity may lead to a conversion from an incommensurate state to a ferroelectric state. Strain gradient elasticity and the flexoelectricity have entirely opposite effects on polarization. The observed interrelationship between the strain gradient elasticity and flexoelectricity is rationalized by an analytical solution of the proposed theoretical model. The model proposed in this paper could help us understand the mechanism of phenomena observed in ferroelectric nanofilms under complex electromechanical loads and provide some guides on the practical application of ferroelectric nanofilms.

  19. Giant electrocaloric effect in a cracked ferroelectrics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Huang, Cheng; Yang, Hai-Bing; Gao, Cun-Fa

    2018-04-01

    The electrocaloric effect (ECE) is the temperature change in a material induced by electrical field variation under adiabatic condition. Considering an external electric load applied on a cracked ferroelectric solid, a non-uniform electric field would be induced at the crack tip, and thus, incompatible strain field and local stress concentration would be generated around it. Furthermore, the enormous strain energy and the electrostatic energy would affect the polarization switching of the ferroelectric solid, important for the electrocaloric response. In this paper, the large negative and positive ECEs in a ferroelectric sheet with a conducting crack are investigated by the phase field method with the consideration of time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau equation. The numerical calculations indicated that the polarization field generates a sharp rise during the domain transition from polydomain to monodomain under a certain electric load. Large negative ECEs, about -10.21 K and -7.55 K, are obtained at 135 °C and 85 °C, respectively. The domain transition temperature is much lower than the Curie temperature, which enlarges the existence scope of the large ECE in ferroelectrics. The results also imply that the domain transition from a multi-domain state to a single domain takes place with the minimization of total free energy, which involves the courses of the electric field, stress field, temperature, and polarization interaction. Therefore, the non-uniform distributions of the stress-electric fields induced by the crack play an important role in ECE.

  20. Electrical transport through Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 p-n and p-p heterostructures modulated by bound charges at a ferroelectric surface: Ferroelectric p-n diode

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Watanabe, Yukio

    1999-05-01

    Current through (Pb,La)(Zr,Ti)O3 ferroelectrics on perovskite semiconductors is found to exhibit diode characteristics of which polarity is universally determined by the carrier conduction-type semiconductors. A persisting highly reproducible resistance modulation by a dc voltage, which has a short retention, is observed and is ascribed to a band bending of the ferroelectric by the formation of charged traps. This interpretation is consistent with a large relaxation current observed at a low voltage. On the other hand, a reproducible resistance modulation by a pulse voltage, which has a long retention, is observed in metal/(Pb,La)(Zr,Ti)O3/SrTiO3:Nb but not in metal/(Pb,La)(Zr,Ti)O3/(La,Sr)2CuO4 and is attributed to a possible band bending due to the spontaneous polarization (P) switching. The observed current voltage (IV) characteristics, the polarity dependence, the relaxation, and the modulation are explicable, if we assume a p-n or a p-p junction at the ferroelectric semiconductor interface (p: hole conduction type, n: electron conduction type). The analysis suggests that an intrinsically inhomogeneous P (∇P) near the ferroelectric/metal interface is likely very weak or existing in a very thin layer, when a reaction of the metal with the ferroelectric is eliminated. Additionally, the various aspects of transport through ferroelectrics are explained as a transport in the carrier depleted region.