MIT Researchers Map 3D Atomic Structure of Relaxor Ferroelectrics for the First Time

MIT researchers have directly mapped the three-dimensional atomic structure of a relaxor ferroelectric (PMN-0.32PT) for the first time using multi-slice electron ptychography, solving a decades-old mystery about how these widely used materials get their unique properties. Relaxor ferroelectrics have been used for decades in medical ultrasound, sonar, and sensors, but their inner structure remained unknown. The study reveals how nanoscale chemical disorder and polar structures govern the material's exceptional properties, providing a framework for designing next-generation computing, energy, and sensing devices. Published in Science (DOI: 10.1126/science.ads6023).