Observation of Micro-Scale Domain Structure Evolution under Electric Bias in Relaxor-Based PIN-PMN-PT Single Crystals

Relaxor ferroelectrics play a vital role as functional components in electromechanical devices. The observation of micro-scale domain structure evolution under electric bias in relaxor ferroelectrics has posed challenges due to their complex domain morphology characterized by small-sized domains. The present study aims to investigate the dielectric diffusion–relaxation characteristics, domain structure, and domain switching evolution under electric bias in high-performance single crystals of Pb(In1/2Nb1/2)O3-Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-33PbTiO3. The findings reveal the presence of strip-like domain patterns that interlock irregular small-sized nanodomains in PIN-PMN-33PT single crystals. Furthermore, the sample undergoes three distinct stages under electric bias, including the nucleation of new domains, the gradual forward expansion of domains, and the lateral expansion of domains. These observations provide valuable insights for understanding and exploring domain engineering techniques in relaxor ferroelectrics.