@article{Deng2026, 
author = {Wei Deng and Tian-Ci Ma and Qing Li and Kai Huang and Tengfei Hu and Binjie Chen and Genshui Wang and Chunyin Zhou and Fangzhou Yao and Wen Gong and Mao-Hua Zhang},
title = {Electric-field-induced antiferroelectric to ferroelectric phase transition in hot-pressed PbZrO3},
year = {2026},
journal = {Journal of Materiomics},
volume = {12},
number = {5},
keywords = {Antiferroelectric, PbZrO3, Field-induced phase transition, STEM},
url = {https://www.sciopen.com/article/10.1016/j.jmat.2026.101256},
doi = {10.1016/j.jmat.2026.101256},
abstract = {Double polarization hysteresis loops associated with field-induced antiferroelectric-ferroelectric (AFE-FE) phase transitions, which underpin many antiferroelectric functionalities, are rarely observed in PbZrO3 polycrystals at ambient conditions because the required critical field often approaches the dielectric breakdown strength. Here, dense PbZrO3 ceramics fabricated by hot pressing reach 97.8% relative density and exhibit an orthorhombic Pbam average structure, as confirmed by high-energy X-ray diffraction. A sharp paraelectric-antiferroelectric anomaly is observed at 235 °C, with a peak permittivity of 5387 at 10 kHz and negligible frequency dispersion. Room-temperature polarization measurements demonstrate a field-induced AFE-FE transition can be triggered at 27 kV/mm, yielding well-defined double hysteresis loops with forward and backward critical fields of 26.5 kV/mm and 19.1 kV/mm, respectively. The ceramics deliver a recoverable energy density of 3.6 J/cm3 with an efficiency of 73.5%, accompanied by a large field-induced strain of 0.49%. Large-signal dielectric measurement reveals a non-monotonic field dependence of permittivity, featuring a pronounced enhancement as the forward transition is approached. Atomistic-resolution electron microscopy and polarization mapping directly resolve the commensurately modulated antipolar “↑↑↓↓” order and quantify an average Pb displacement of ~24 pm with dipoles aligned along <110> directions. These results establish a room-temperature experimental benchmark for pristine bulk PbZrO3, linking atomistic-scale antipolar order to macroscopic transition and providing a quantitative baseline for evaluating phase competition and transition pathways in antiferroelectric perovskites.}
}