Tailoring high-energy storage NaNbO3-based materials from antiferroelectric to relaxor states
Mao‐Hua Zhang, Hui Ding, Sonja Egert, Changhao Zhao, Lorenzo Villa, Lovro Fulanović, Pedro B. Groszewicz, Gerd Buntkowsky, Hans‐Joachim Kleebe, Karsten Albe, Andreas Klein, Jurij Koruza
Abstract
Abstract Reversible field-induced phase transitions define antiferroelectric perovskite oxides and lay the foundation for high-energy storage density materials, required for future green technologies. However, promising new antiferroelectrics are hampered by transition´s irreversibility and low electrical resistivity. Here, we demonstrate an approach to overcome these problems by adjusting the local structure and defect chemistry, delivering NaNbO 3 -based antiferroelectrics with well-defined double polarization loops. The attending reversible phase transition and structural changes at different length scales are probed by in situ high-energy X-ray diffraction, total scattering, transmission electron microcopy, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. We show that the energy-storage density of the antiferroelectric compositions can be increased by an order of magnitude, while increasing the chemical disorder transforms the material to a relaxor state with a high energy efficiency of 90%. The results provide guidelines for efficient design of (anti-)ferroelectrics and open the way for the development of new material systems for a sustainable future.