• Jurečič, Vida
• Novak, Nikola
• Bobnar, Vid
• Koruza, Jurij
• Fulanović, Lovro

Abstract

The increase of the dielectric permittivity with an electric field and enhanced energy storage properties make antiferroelectrics very attractive for high-power electronic applications needed in emerging green energy technologies and neuromorphic computing platforms. Their exceptional functional properties are closely related to the electric field-induced antiferroelectric↔ferroelectric phase transition, which can be driven toward a critical end point by manipulation with an external electric field. The critical fluctuation of physical properties at the critical end point in ferroelectrics is a promising approach to improve their functional properties. Here, we demonstrate the existence of two critical end points in antiferroelectric ceramics with a ferroelectric-antiferroelectric-paraelectric phase sequence, using the model system Pb 0.99 Nb 0.02 [ ( Zr 0.57 Sn 0.43 ) 0.92 Ti 0.08 ] 0.98 O 3 . The critical fluctuation of the dielectric permittivity in the proximity of the antiferroelectric-to-paraelectric critical end point is responsible for the strong enhancement of the dielectric tunability (by a factor of > 2 ) measured at ≈ 395 K. The enhancement of the energy storage density at ≈ 370 K is related to the proximity of the ferroelectric-to-antiferroelectric critical end point. These findings open possibilities for material design and pave the way for the next generation of high-energy storage materials.

Topics

• density
• impedance spectroscopy
• phase
• phase transition
• ceramic