Session: Solid-State Inorganic Chemistry:

The effort to enhance our understanding of polar behavior in crystalline materials is at the forefront of research in many technologically driven fields. One specific property which makes many materials so appealing in tech-related fields is ferroelectricity. Resulting from noncentrosymmetric lattice distortions and characterized by spontaneous reversible electric polarization, this behavior has captivated researchers given its vast applications. Significant research has been conducted on distortion-driven polarity in the perovskite lattice, and factors contributing to such behavior are fairly well understood. However, studies focused on distortion-induced polarity in other lattice types have not been studied as extensively. The pyrochlore presents intriguing phenomena. Easy to prepare and accommodating of chemical substitution, the pyrochlore is an excellent candidate for the investigation of structural factors contributing to ferroelectricity. By utilizing neutron total scattering, synchrotron X-ray diffraction, and first principles calculations, this work investigates the role of vacancies on polarity in a series of stoichiometrically varied lead niobate pyrochlores. Procuring an understanding of polar behavior in this system could pave the way for novel ferroelectric pyrochlores.

Hayden Evans

Appearances