Disrupting long-range polar order with an electric field

Hanzheng Guo, Xiaoming Liu, Fei Xue, Long Qing Chen, Wei Hong, Xiaoli Tan

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

63 Scopus citations

Abstract

Electric fields are known to favor long-range polar order through the aligning of electric dipoles in relation to Coulomb's force. Therefore, it would be surprising to observe a disordered polar state induced from an ordered state by electric fields. Here we show such an unusual phenomenon in a polycrystalline oxide where electric fields induce a ferroelectric-to-relaxor phase transition. The nonergodic relaxor phase with disordered dipoles appears as an intermediate state under electric fields during polarization reversal of the ferroelectric phase. Using the phenomenological theory, the underlying mechanism for this unexpected behavior can be attributed to the slow kinetics of the ferroelectric-to-relaxor phase transition, as well as its competition against domain switching during electric reversal. The demonstrated material could also serve as a model system to study the transient stages in first-order phase transitions; the slow kinetics does not require the use of sophisticated ultrafast tools.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number174114
JournalPhysical Review B
Volume93
Issue number17
DOIs
StatePublished - May 24 2016

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
  • Condensed Matter Physics

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Disrupting long-range polar order with an electric field'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this