Probing the dynamic response of ferroelectric and ferroelastic materials by simultaneous detection of elastic and piezoelectric properties

Domain walls and precursors in ferroelectric and ferroelastic materials are of great importance for the optimization of ferroic devices and novel paradigms for domain switching. Any domain wall- or ferroic-precursor-based device requires knowledge about structural phase transitions and the formation and evolution of mesoscopic structures. In this review, Resonant Piezoelectric Spectroscopy (RPS) is shown to be a convenient investigative tool for the characterization of ferroic materials. RPS simultaneously measures elastic and piezoelectric properties related to domain walls and ferroic precursors and correlates the onset of phase transitions and the formation of mesoscopic structures with piezoelectric properties. Examples are given for ferroelastic, ferroelectric, and relaxor materials, including SrTiO3, BaTiO3, and PbMg1/3Nb2/3O3. Comparison of the data with incipient ferroelectric KTaO3 provides insights into the physical meaning of the coherence temperature and the Burns temperature in ferroelectrics, relaxors, and potentially other ferroic systems. (C) 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.