Journal article
Relaxor behavior in rocksalt cation-ordered material induced by (anti)ferroelectric phase competition
Nature communications, Forthcoming
23 Jun 2026
PMID: 42337225
Abstract
Relaxor ferroelectrics are characterized by dispersion of the temperature-dependent dielectric constant with frequency and enhanced electromechanical coupling. These properties arise from the dynamic polar response of correlated nanodomains that are strongly associated with atomic-scale compositional disorder, which disrupts long-range ferroelectric ordering and enables nanodomain formation. Here, we report relaxor properties originating from spontaneous low temperature phase competition in fully cation-ordered antiferroelectric PbMg
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epitaxial films, including the identification of a new low-energy polar phase. Unlike prototypical relaxors, the B-site cations in coherently strained PbMg
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films exhibit long-range rocksalt chemical ordering. Temperature-dependent polarization studies reveal the switching behaviors associated with the phase transitions from paraelectric to antiferroelectric to ferroelectric, and the characteristic dielectric relaxation is ascribed instead to phase competition between the polar and antipolar phases mediated by temperature and substrate clamping. This phase competition breaks long-range dipole correlation and leads to dielectric dispersion and relaxor behavior. These findings demonstrate a new paradigm for designing relaxor material properties through engineered phase competition.
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Details
- Title
- Relaxor behavior in rocksalt cation-ordered material induced by (anti)ferroelectric phase competition
- Creators
- Yu Yun - Drexel UniversityLiyan Wu - Drexel UniversityDrew Behrendt - University of PennsylvaniaHao Pan - University of California, BerkeleyMenglin Zhu - Department of Materials Science & Engineering, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USAMichael Xu - Department of Materials Science & Engineering, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USAAnthony J Ruffino - Drexel UniversityJohn Carroll - Drexel UniversityIrina Baraban - Drexel UniversityZishen Tian - University of California, BerkeleyXianfei Xu - University of PennsylvaniaDongfang Chen - Drexel UniversityBrendan M Hanrahan - DEVCOM Army Research LaboratoryLane W Martin - University of California, BerkeleyJames M LeBeau - Department of Materials Science & Engineering, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USAAndrew M Rappe - University of PennsylvaniaIlya Grinberg - Bar-Ilan UniversityJonathan E Spanier - Drexel University
- Publication Details
- Nature communications, Forthcoming
- Publisher
- Nature Publishing
- Grant note
- W911NF-24-2-0100 / United States Department of Defense | United States Army | U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command | Army Research Laboratory (U.S. Army Research Laboratory)
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Electrical and Computer Engineering; Physics; Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics
- Other Identifier
- 991022193492104721