Collective Dipole Behavior and Unusual Morphotropic Phase Boundary in Ferroelectric Pb(Zr_0.5Ti_0.5)O₃ Nanowires

Abstract

Dipole collective behavior and phase transition in ferroelectric (FE) Pb(Zr(0.5)Ti(0.5))O(3) nanowires, caused by modulated electric fields, are reported. Our result also leads to the finding of a rather outstanding electromechanical d(31) response in a 8.4 nm diameter PZT wire, which may potentially outperform bulk PMN-PT and PZN-PT. Moreover, we further demonstrate the existence of a new type of morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) that bridges two dissimilar structure phases of different order parameters. Microscopic insights for understanding the collective behavior and the structural phase within the new MPB are provided.