Abstract: Anomalous dielectric and electromechanical properties make relaxor ferroelectrics fundamentally and technologically appealing. I will discuss these materials from the points of view of both their long-range structural symmetry and their local symmetry, which have been investigated by a variety of neutron and X-ray scattering techniques. In particular, three-dimensional diffuse scattering measurements (X-ray and neutron) have been employed to examine several classes of relaxor ferroelectrics, including pseudo-cubic lead-based perovskites, lead-free perovskites, and uniaxial tungsten bronze systems. The different components that are observed in these measurements will be discussed in the context of how they relate to the physics and material properties of these systems.
Materials Science Colloquium