In situ transmission electron microscopy study of the nanodomain growth in a Sc-doped lead magnesium niobate ceramic

Abstract

Sc doping enhances the $B$ -site 1:1 cation ordering in the $\mathrm{Pb}\left({\mathrm{Mg}}_{1∕3}{\mathrm{Nb}}_{2∕3}\right){\mathrm{O}}_3$ ceramic. At low doping levels, the electrical polar domains remain at the nanometer scale and the relaxor ferroelectric behavior persists. The electric field-induced relaxor to normal ferroelectric phase transition process was directly observed with an in situ transmission electron microscopy technique in a Sc-doped $\mathrm{Pb}\left({\mathrm{Mg}}_{1∕3}{\mathrm{Nb}}_{2∕3}\right){\mathrm{O}}_3$ polycrystalline sample. It was found that the phase transition started at the grain boundary and took two steps to complete: the gradual coalescence of the polar nanodomains and the abrupt formation of the large wedge-shaped ferroelectric domains.