MIT Scientists Map 3D Nanoscale Structure of Relaxor Ferroelectrics for First Time

MIT researchers have mapped the 3D nanoscale structure of relaxor ferroelectrics using multislice electron ptychography, solving a decades-old mystery about how electric charges are arranged in these materials that power medical ultrasounds and sonar systems. Published in Science (DOI: 10.1126/science.ads6023), the breakthrough challenges long-standing assumptions about how these materials behave and enables refined design models. The research team included Menglin Zhu, Michael Xu, Yubo Qi, Colin Gilgenbach, Jieun Kim, Jiahao Zhang, Bridget R. Denzer, Lane W. Martin, Andrew M. Rappe, and James M. LeBeau from MIT.