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

Wang, Ge; Hu, Tengfei; Zhu, Wenxuan; Lu, Zhilun; Kleppe, Annette; Diaz Lopez, Maria; Feteira, Antonio; Sinclair, Derek C.; Fu, Zhengqian; Huang, Houbing; Wang, Dawei; Reaney, Ian M.

Abstract

For the first time, the origin of large electrostrain in pseudocubic BiFeO3-based ceramics is verified with direct structural evidence backed by appropriate simulations. We employ advanced structural and microstructural characterisations of BiFeO3 based ceramics that exhibit large electrostrain (>0.4%) to reveal the existence of multiple, nanoscale local symmetries, dominantly tetragonal/orthorhombic, which have a common, averaged direction of polarisation over larger, meso/micro-scale regions. Phase-field simulations confirm the existence of local nanoscale symmetries, thereby providing a new vision for designing high-performance lead-free ceramics for high strain actuators.

Citation

Wang, G., Hu, T., Zhu, W., Lu, Z., Kleppe, A., Diaz Lopez, M., Feteira, A., Sinclair, D. C., Fu, Z., Huang, H., Wang, D., & Reaney, I. M. (2023). Multiple local symmetries result in a common average polar axis in high strain BiFeO3 based ceramics. Physical review letters, 130(7), https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.130.076801

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jan 17, 2023
• Online Publication Date: Feb 14, 2023
• Publication Date: 2023-02
• Deposit Date: Feb 15, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Feb 16, 2023
• Print ISSN: 1079-7114
• Publisher: American Physical Society
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 130
• Issue: 7
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.130.076801
• Keywords: local structure, piezoelectric, electrostrain, symmetry, phase-field simulation