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We demonstrate a capacitor with high energy densities, low energy losses, fast discharge times, and high temperature stabilities, based on Pb(0.97)Y(0.02)[(Zr(0.6)Sn(0.4))(0.925)Ti(0.075)]O3 (PYZST) antiferroelectric thin-films. PYZST thin-films exhibited a high recoverable energy density of U(reco) = 21.0 J/cm(3) with a high energy-storage efficiency of η = 91.9% under an electric field of 1300 kV/cm, providing faster microsecond discharge times than those of commercial polypropylene capacitors. Moreover, PYZST thin-films exhibited high temperature stabilities with regard to their energy-storage properties over temperatures ranging from room temperature to 100 °C and also exhibited strong charge-discharge fatigue endurance up to 1 × 10(7) cycles.

Robust nanogenerator based on poly(tert-butyl acrylate)–grafted PVDF copolymers via dielectric constant control is demonstrated.

Relaxor ferroelectricity is one of the most widely investigated but the least understood material classes in the condensed matter physics. This is largely due to the lack of experimental tools that decisively confirm the existing theoretical models. In spite of the diversity in the models, they share the core idea that the observed features in relaxors are closely related to localized chemical heterogeneity. Given this, this review attempts to overview the existing models of importance chronologically, from the diffuse phase transition model to the random-field model and to show how the core idea has been reflected in them to better shape our insight into the nature of relaxor-related phenomena. Then, the discussion will be directed to how the models of a common consensus, developed with the so-called canonical relaxors such as Pb(Mg 1/3 Nb 2/3 )O3 (PMN) and (Pb, La)(Zr, Ti)O3 (PLZT), are compatible with phenomenological explanations for the recently identified relaxors such as (Bi 1/2 Na 1/2 )TiO3 (BNT)-based lead-free ferroelectrics. This review will be finalized with a discussion on the theoretical aspects of recently introduced 0−3 and 2−2 ferroelectric/relaxor composites as a practical tool for strain engineering.

Lead‐free piezoelectric (1–x)(Bi0.5(Na0.75K0.25)0.5TiO3)‐xBiAlO3 (BNKT25‐xBA, x = 0–0.100) ceramics were synthesized using a conventional solid‐state reaction method. The effect of BA addition into the BNKT25 ceramics was investigated by X‐ray diffraction, dielectric and ferroelectric characterizations, and electric field‐induced strain. X‐ray diffraction revealed a phase transition from a tetragonal to a pseudocubic phase at x = 0.050. As the BA content increased, the maximum dielectric constant as well as the depolarization temperature (Td) decreased. The polarization and strain hysteresis loops indicate that the addition of BA significantly disrupts the ferroelectric order of the BNKT25 ceramics leading to a degradation of the remanent polarization and coercive field. However, the destabilization of the ferroelectric order is accompanied by a significant enhancement in the unipolar strain which peaks at x = 0.025 with a value of ~0.29%, which corresponds to a normalized strain, d*33 (=Smax/Emax) of 484 pm/V. It was observed that the unipolar strain of 0.025xBA is fairly temperature‐insensitive up to 150°C, even at 130°C the d*33 is as large as ~415 pm/V.

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Dense single-phase BiFeO3 and Bi0.9Ho0.1FeO3 ceramics were prepared by the solid-state reaction method. With Ho doping, the remnant polarization of BiFeO3 was enhanced and the switching characteristics improved at low electric fields. Ho doping increased the breakdown voltage with a reduction of the leakage current while mitigating the remnant polarization at high electric fields. These results can explain conflicting findings regarding the effects of rare-earth doping on remnant polarization. Bi0.9Ho0.1FeO3 exhibited peculiar double hysteresis looplike magnetization-magnetic field curves with a much enhanced remnant magnetization. These improved properties obtained by Ho doping demonstrate the possibility of enhancing the multiferroic applicability of BiFeO3.

Lead-free Mn-doped (K0.5, Na0.5)NbO3 (KNN) thin films were fabricated by the chemical solution deposition method. The addition of small concentration of Mn dopant effectively reduced the leakage current density and enhanced the piezoelectric properties of the films. The leakage current density of 0.5 mol. % Mn-doped KNN film showed the lowest value of ∼10-7 A/cm2 at 10 V compared to the films with other doping concentrations and the piezoelectric d33 and e31 coefficients of this film were ∼90 pm/V and −8.5 C/m2, respectively. The maximum power and power density of the lead-free thin film-based vibrational energy harvesting device were 3.62 μW and 1800 μW/cm3 at the resonance frequency of 132 Hz and the acceleration of 1.0 G. The results prove that the 0.5 mol. % Mn-doped KNN film is an attractive candidate transducer layer for the piezoelectric MEMS energy harvesting device applications with a small volume and a long-lasting power source.