Polarization controlled resistive switching in bulk ferroelectric ceramics: A universal phenomenon

•Universal resistive switching (RS) phenomenon in bulk ferroelectrics.•The bulk PMN-0.25PT ceramic shows displacement controlled reproducible and distinct resistance states.•The HRS was found nearly an order in magnitude higher than tLRS .•A uniform gap in the retention states was observed between HRS to LRS . An extensive study ruled out the reservation in the scientific community that the resistive switching phenomenon can only be seen in thin films and ultra-thin films based on the formation of conducting filaments, defects, inhomogeneities, dislocations, oxygen vacancies, interfacial charges, trap charges, barrier heights, electrochemical metallization, valence charge mechanism, polarization switching, etc. The bulk (Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3)0.75(PbTiO3)0.25 (PMN-0.25PT), ferroelectric ceramic show reproducible and distinct resistance states, controlled by displacement current. The High Resistance State (HRS) was found nearly an order in magnitude higher than the Low Resistance State (LRS) near the coercive field. A uniform gap in the charge retention states was observed between HRS to LRS using pulse voltage. These findings established displacement current-controlled multi-level resistance states in low coercive field bulk ferroelectric ceramics.