We have identified a composition in Sm doped BiFeO3 which exhibits a complex mixture of ferroelectric phase and an antiferroelectric phase. Left shows a high resolution TEM image of a region displaying an interface between a rhombohedral ferroelectric phase (FE matrix) and antiferroelectric (antipolar clusters). Right schematically shows how antiparallel shift in A-site cations (arrows) gives rise to antiferroelectric structure.
UMD Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (2005)
The Maryland MRSEC carries out nationally recognized fundamental research on surfaces and interfaces of materials with potential impact on the next generation of opto- and nano-electronic devices, and on complex oxides with potential applications in memory, switches, and sensors.