Simultaneously addressing the formidable challenges of reflection-induced secondary pollution and the limited dynamic range of responsive electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding remains a critical bottleneck for intelligent electromagnetic protection. Herein, we report a gradient liquid metal hydrogel platform that enables a synergistic, decoupled electronic-ionic switching mechanism to achieve high-contrast and absorption-dominated shielding. Unlike conventional responsive hydrogels that rely on quality-deteriorating solvent exchange, swelling, or shrinking—processes that inherently compromise structural reliability—this platform achieves precise, reversible shielding control without any mass loss or structural deformation. By nanoconfining liquid metal (LM) microdroplets within a mechanically robust, aramid nanofiber-reinforced poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) matrix, we develop a unique phase-transition-driven “double-lock” switching mechanism. This mechanism leverages the decoupled sequential phase transitions of the LM fillers (electronic channel) and the ionic solvent (ionic channel) to realize a stable transition between electromagnetic “transparency” and “protection”. Specifically, a biomimetic gradient architecture effectively eliminates surface impedance mismatch, achieving an ultra-high EMI shielding effectiveness (SE) of 60.6 dB with a distinct absorption-dominant characteristic (A/R > 1.2). The synergistic “double-lock” system enables a remarkable dynamic switching contrast of 50.7 dB while maintaining its “green” shielding mechanism throughout all functional operational states. By synergizing this high switching contrast with a consistently absorption-dominated performance whenever active shielding is engaged, this work establishes a structure-driven paradigm for next-generation green and intelligent electromagnetic protection.

Chemical doping represents a crucial and effective approach for controlling electricity and also many other properties, but the underlying mechanisms connecting dopant-induced structural evolutions to emergent functionalities remain incompletely understood. To address this knowledge gap, the atomic-level mechanism of the enhanced electric polarization in a typical perovskite ferroelectric oxide BiFeO₃ (BFO) is unveiled. B-site Mn-dopping, with bringing about atomic-level lattice and charge evolutions, clearly accelerates the local lattice distortion i.e. enhanced Fe/Mn displacement and (Fe/Mn)O₆ octahedral rotation. This facilitates large-scale polarization orientation alignment to create the enhanced collective polarity while manifesting an overall ferroelectric polarization of up to ~160 μC/cm². Local lattice distortion also promotes the Jahn-Teller effect because of the increasing proportion in Mn³⁺ (3d⁴ configuration) that could instigate symmetry-breaking stretching and bending distortions of (Fe/Mn)O₆ octahedra with showing improved magnetic moments. Our findings uncover the ferroelectricity-enhanced origination and offer a new paradigm for principally designing ferroelectric functions.

Ferroelectric materials are highly promising for next-generation electro–optic (EO) modulators because of their ultrafast and efficient light modulation. However, efforts to maximize polarization freedom for large refractive index modulation—through domain engineering, epitaxial strain, and defect engineering—have hit limitations, leaving intrinsic polarization mechanisms largely unexplored. Here, we report a giant effective EO coefficient (~233.5 pm/V) in PbZr_0.52Ti_0.48O₃ (PZT) films, which surpasses all reported values measured under an in-plane electric field and significantly exceeds the theoretical limit (~13 pm/V) as well as the value of LiNbO₃ (~31 pm/V). Beyond conventional domain switching, phase transitions and domain wall variations critically enhance the EO effect. The highly relaxed structure of the PZT film, with mixed [001] and [100] orientations and disordered nanoscale phases, enables unprecedented polarization control. This unique configuration breaks the theoretical EO coefficient limit, bridging the gap between predictions and experimental results. Owing to its high Curie temperature and compatibility with wafer-scale fabrication, PZT has emerged as a promising candidate for next-generation high-performance EO modulators. Our findings not only advance the frontiers of ferroelectric EO materials but also pave the way for exploring other ferroelectric thin-film devices, such as those for energy storage and electrocaloric cooling, by leveraging enhanced polarization modulation mechanisms.

Tuning the structure-activity of fillers and matrix is crucial for designing polymer-based dielectric capacitors with high energy storage performance. Up to date, how the fillers’ structural characteristics (surface/interface configurations, dimensions, orientations etc.) contribute to the overall energy storage is far from unveiled. To this end, a combined filler-polymer dual-side design strategy is developed, which involves the DFT guidance for the electronic transport criteria for the designable synthesis of KNb₃O₈ fillers. Four different structural configurations are constructed, which are surface-modified with polydopamine (PDA) to fabricate the final composite films, i.e. PDA@KNb₃O₈/PVDF-P(VDF-HFP)-PMMA with particular orientations and arrangements, through a well-controlled solution casting method. Comprehensive structural and electrical investigations reveal that 1D/2D-orientated PDA@KNb₃O₈ fillers could obviously enhance the breakdown field and energy storage performance. The difference is that the 1D fillers more effectively improve the energy efficiency (up to 72%), while the 2D fillers more steadily achieve high energy density (U_e = 28.35 J/cm³) among the highest U_e reported for the composites. This work not only uncovers the structural origin of the electrostatic storage in inorganic-polymer composite films but also provides critical insights in designing high-energy-density film capacitors.

What is the nature of the electric (dielectric/ferroelectric) properties of CuInP₂S₆ (CIPS)? CIPS, considered an emerging two-dimensional (2D) ferroelectric, has been well explored in various properties and applications. However, the most important and fundamental nature, i.e. dielectric/ferroelectric property, has been controversial, because high-quality CIPS samples are grossly deficient. In this work, single crystal CIPS is successfully synthesized by the chemical vapour transport method, which presents “high quality” in terms of high purity, excellent crystallinity, uniform composition, and defect-free structure etc. that are confirmed through comprehensive characterization techniques. With performing high-quality single crystal, we fully uncover the intrinsic electric properties of CIPS through accurately identifying the atomic arrangement, electron configuration, magnetic, dielectric, and ferroelectric properties that should reach a consensus on such a disputed CIPS material. These findings serve as a pivotal benchmark for a comprehensive understanding of the inherent electric characteristics of CIPS, offering valuable insights for its future modifications and applications in various applications.

Lanthanide (Ln³⁺) based ferroelectric phosphors, with an integration of PL emission and ferroelectric effect, are unveiling an exciting realm of possibilities for multifunctional ferroelectric-optic materials. However, how the ferroelectric host enables the tuning on the PL emissions through modulating the local structure (e.g., lattice site, symmetry, strains etc.) of the Ln³⁺ activator is not established yet. In this work, a luminescent-ferroelectric material, i.e. Dy³⁺ doped BaTiO₃ ceramic (Ba_1-xDy_xTiO₃ (x = 0–0.07), abbr: BTO:Dy³⁺), was explored to address the aforementioned issues. The BTO:Dy³⁺ ceramics were synthesized by a solid-state reaction method. The crystal structure, photoluminescence (PL) and electric properties (dielectric constant, ferroelectric hysteresis and piezoelectric hysteresis loop) were systematically investigated. The BTO:Dy³⁺ ceramics show two predominant emission peaks, corresponding to the blue magnetic dipole transition (477 nm, ⁴F_7/2 → ⁶H_15/2) and yellow electric dipole transition (573 nm, ⁴F_7/2 → ⁶H_13/2), the intensity ration of which can be modulated by the ferroelectric polarization that causes the slight lattice deformation. Such a polarization-emission modulation combining with the Dy³⁺ doping could accelerate the color change, from yellow to blue, which is characterized to detect the phase transition, with a method and mechanism were proposed, that is, the phase change is reflected by the PL characteristic peak intensity ratio. Therefore, the current results offer a convenient photoluminescence method for detecting the ferroelectric phase transition and a feasible approach to study the interaction between the photoluminescence and polarization in ferroelectric materials, for providing new insights for the development of multifunctional materials.