Morphotropic Phase Boundary in the Pb-Free (1 - x)BiTi(3/8)Fe(2/8)Mg(3/8)O₃-xCaTiO₃ System: Tetragonal Polarization and Enhanced Electromechanical Properties

Emerging Halide Perovskite Ferroelectrics

Halide perovskites have gained tremendous attention in the past decade owing to their excellent properties in optoelectronics. Recently, a fascinating property, ferroelectricity, has been discovered in halide perovskites and quickly attracted widespread interest. Compared with traditional perovskite oxide ferroelectrics, halide perovskites display natural advantages such as structural softness, low weight, and easy processing, which are highly desirable in applications pursuing miniaturization and flexibility. This review focuses on the current research progress in halide perovskite ferroelectrics, encompassing the emerging materials systems and their potential applications in ferroelectric photovoltaics, self-powered photodetection, and X-ray detection. The main challenges and possible solutions in the future development of halide perovskite ferroelectric materials are also attempted to be pointed out.

Ferroelectric Polymers Exhibiting Negative Longitudinal Piezoelectric Coefficient: Progress and Prospects

Piezoelectric polymers are well-recognized to hold great promise for a wide range of flexible, wearable, and biocompatible applications. Among the known piezoelectric polymers, ferroelectric polymers represented by poly(vinylidene fluoride) and its copolymer poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-trifluoroethylene) possess the best piezoelectric coefficients. However, the physical origin of negative longitudinal piezoelectric coefficients occurring in the polymers remains elusive. To address this long-standing challenge, several theoretical models proposed over the past decades, which are controversial in nature, have been revisited and reviewed. It is concluded that negative longitudinal piezoelectric coefficients arise from the negative longitudinal electrostriction in the crystalline domain of the polymers, independent of amorphous and crystalline-amorphous interfacial regions. The crystalline origin of piezoelectricity offers unprecedented opportunities to improve electromechanical properties of polymers via structural engineering, i.e., design of morphotropic phase boundaries in ferroelectric polymers.

Large-scale multiferroic complex oxide epitaxy with magnetically switched polarization enabled by solution processing

Complex oxides with tunable structures have many fascinating properties, though high-quality complex oxide epitaxy with precisely controlled composition is still out of reach. Here we have successfully developed solution-based single-crystalline epitaxy for multiferroic (1-x)BiTi(1-y)/2Fe y Mg(1-y)/2O3-(x)CaTiO3 (BTFM-CTO) solid solution in large area, confirming its ferroelectricity at the atomic scale with strong spontaneous polarization. Careful compositional tuning leads to a bulk magnetization of 0.07 ± 0.035 μB/Fe at room temperature, enabling magnetically induced polarization switching exhibiting a large magnetoelectric coefficient of 2.7-3.0 × 10-7 s/m. This work demonstrates the great potential of solution processing in large-scale complex oxide epitaxy and establishes novel room-temperature magnetoelectric coupling in epitaxial BTFM-CTO film, making it possible to explore a much wider space of composition, phase, and structure that can be easily scaled up for industrial applications.

Multifield Control of Domains in a Room-Temperature Multiferroic 0.85BiTi0.1Fe0.8Mg0.1O3-0.15CaTiO3 Thin Film

Single-phase materials that combine electric polarization and magnetization are promising for applications in multifunctional sensors, information storage, spintronic devices, etc. Following the idea of a percolating network of magnetic ions (e.g., Fe) with strong superexchange interactions within a structural scaffold with a polar lattice, a solid solution thin film with perovskite structure at a morphotropic phase boundary with a high level of Fe atoms on the B site of perovskite structure is deposited to combine both ferroelectric and ferromagnetic ordering at room temperature with magnetoelectric coupling. In this work, a 0.85BiTi_0.1Fe_0.8Mg_0.1O₃-0.15CaTiO₃ thin film has been deposited by pulsed laser deposition (PLD). Both the ferroelectricity and the magnetism were characterized at room temperature. Large polarization and a large piezoelectric effective coefficient d₃₃ were obtained. Multifield coupling of the thin film has been characterized by scanning force microscopy. Ferroelectric domains and magnetic domains could be switched by magnetic field ( H), electric field ( E), mechanical force ( F), and, indicating that complex cross-coupling exists among the electric polarization, magnetic ordering and elastic deformation in 0.85BiTi_0.1F_e0.8Mg_0.1O₃-0.15CaTiO₃ thin film at room temperature. This work also shows the possibility of writing information with electric field, magnetic field, and mechanical force and then reading data by magnetic field. We expect that this work will benefit information applications.

Defect Engineering of Lead-Free Piezoelectrics with High Piezoelectric Properties and Temperature-Stability

The high piezoelectricity of ABO3-type lead-free piezoelectric materials can be achieved with the help of either morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) or polymorphic phase transition (PPT). Here, we propose a new defect engineering route to the excellent piezoelectric properties, in which doped smaller acceptor and donor ions substituting bivalent A-sites are utilized to bring local lattice distortion and lower symmetry. A concrete paradigm is presented, (Li-Al) codoped BaTiO3 perovskite, that exhibits a largely thermo-stable piezoelectric constant (>300 pC/N) and huge mechanical quality factor (>2000). A systematic analysis including theoretical analysis and simulation results indicates that the Li(+) and Al(3+) ions are inclined to occupy the neighboring A-sites in the lattice and constitute a defect dipole (ionic pairs). The defect dipoles possess a kind of dipole moment which tends to align directionally after thermo-electric treatment. A mechanism related to the defect symmetry principle, phase transition, and defect migration is proposed to explain the outstanding piezoelectric properties. The present study opens a new development window for excellent piezoelectricity and provides a promising route to the potential utilization of lead-free piezoelectrics in high power applications.

High-Performance Lead-Free Piezoceramics with High Curie Temperatures

A bismuth ferrite and barium titanate solid solution compound can achieve good piezoelectric properties with a high Curie temperature when fabricated with low-temperature sintering followed by a water-quenching process, with no complicated grain alignment processes performed. By adding the super-tetragonal bismuth gallium oxide to the compound, the piezoelectric properties are as good as those of lead zirconate titanate ceramics.

Lead-Free Metamaterials with Enormous Apparent Piezoelectric Response

Lead-free flexoelectric piezoelectric metamaterials are created by applying an asymmetric chemical reduction to Na1/2 Bi1/2 TiO3 -BaTiO3 ceramics. The reduction induces two gradient-generating mechanisms, curvature structure and chemical inhomogeneity, and enhances the flexoelectric effect. The ceramics behave like piezoelectric materials, exhibiting an enormous and high-temperature stable apparent piezoelectric response, outperforming existing lead-oxide-based piezoelectrics.