Abstract
Relaxor ferroelectrics have been intensely studied for decades based on their unique electromechanical responses which arise from local structural heterogeneity involving polar nanoregions or domains. Here, we report first studies of the ultrafast dynamics and reconfigurability of the polarization in freestanding films of the prototypical relaxor 0.68PbMg1/3Nb2/3O3-0.32PbTiO3(PMN-0.32PT) by probing its atomic-scale response via femtosecond-resolution, electron-scattering approaches. By combining these structural measurements with dynamic phase-field simulations, we show that femtosecond light pulses drive a change in both the magnitude and direction of the polarization vector within polar nanodomains on few-picosecond time scales. This study defines new opportunities for dynamic reconfigurable control of the polarization in nanoscale relaxor ferroelectrics.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 9275-9282 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Nano Letters |
Volume | 22 |
Issue number | 23 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Dec 14 2022 |
Externally published | Yes |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Bioengineering
- General Chemistry
- General Materials Science
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Mechanical Engineering
Keywords
- electron diffraction
- ferroelectrics
- structural dynamics
- ultrafast