X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy (XPCS) provides access to nanoscale dynamics, yet practical approaches for interpreting its data remain limited. This tutorial presents a systematic framework for XPCS data analysis, illustrated using measurements performed at the NSLS-II CHX beamline. The fundamental concepts of speckle pattern and the intensity autocorrelation function are introduced, followed by ferroelectric case studies demonstrating how polarization switching and phase transition dynamics can be extracted from XPCS measurements. The influence of the probed q-range experimental conditions such as X-ray transmittance is examined for data interpretation. These elements are consolidated into practical guidelines for the reliable analysis of XPCS data.

In line with the development of electronic devices and technologies, the demand for improving ferroelectric materials’ performance is increasing. Since K_0.5Na_0.5NbO₃ (KNN), an eco-friendly ferroelectric material that does not use lead and has a high Curie temperature, it is attracting attention to its usability as a high-temperature dielectric, and various studies are being conducted to increase performance. In a KNN having a perovskite structure, there was a simulation result that the KNN has higher spontaneous polarization when the A-site in which sodium ions exist is replaced with lithium ions. If the simulation results can be proven experimentally, the application range of KNN-based ferroelectric materials will increase. To this end, we tried to manufacture a K_1-xLi_xNbO₃ (KLN) with high electrical characteristics by fabricating niobium-deficient and potassium-excessive compositions, which attempt was made to solve the stoichiometry problem by volatilization and suppress secondary phases. If KLN’s secondary phase suppression and relative permittivity improvement are successful, it will contribute to meeting the demand for developing electronic devices.

Citations

• Recent Progress in Relaxor-State Design of BNT-Based Ceramics for High-Efficiency Energy-Storage Capacitors
  Yeseul Lim, Geon-Tae Hwang
  Journal of Electrical and Electronic Materials.2026; 39(3): 225.     CrossRef

This research explores the development of [100]-textured barium titanate (BaTiO₃, BT) ceramics using sodium bismuth titanate (Na_0.5Bi_4.5Ti₄O₁₅, NBiT) templates, aimed at leveraging the inherent high dielectric property of BT. However, the attempted texturing was unsuccessful, primarily due to bismuth diffusion from the NBiT templates into the BT matrix below the sintering temperature, at 1,000℃. Systematical exploration about the cause of the failure is involved and alternative approaches are proposed in detail to overcome the challenge. These findings contribute to the understanding of techniques and conditions for textured ceramic fabrication and highlight the need for further research in this area.

The low-temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) is a crucial factor in the development of space-grade resistors for temperature stability. Consequently, extensive research is underway to achieve zero TCR. In this study, resistors were deposited by co-sputtering nickel-chromium-based composite compositions, metals showing positive TCR, with SiO₂, introducing negative TCR components. It was observed that achieving zero TCR is feasible by adjusting the proportion of negative TCR components in the deposited thin film resistors within certain compositions. Additionally, the correlation between TCR and deposition conditions, such as sputtering power, Ar pressure, and surface roughness, was investigated. We anticipate that these findings will contribute to the study of resistors with very low TCR, thereby enhancing the reliability of space-level resistors operating under high temperatures.

Multilayered actuators using Pb(Mg_1/3Nb_2/3)O₃-Pb(In_1/2Nb_1/2)O₃-PbTiO₃ (PMN-PIN-PT) crystals have demonstrated excellent properties, but are costly and lack mechanical strength. Textured PMN-PIN-PT ceramics exhibit robust mechanical strength and comparable properties to their single crystals form. However, the development of multilayered actuators using textured PMN-PIN-PT ceramics has not been achieved until now. This study presents the development of a multilayered actuator using textured 0.37PMN-0.29PIN-0.34PT ceramics with an Ag0.9/Pd0.1 inner electrode, co-fired at 950℃. A random 0.37PMN- 0.29PIN-0.34PT ceramics multilayered actuator was also developed for comparison. The multilayered actuator consisted of 9 ceramic layers (36 μm thickness) with an overall actuator thickness of 0.401 mm. The textured and random 0.37PMN-0.29PIN- 0.34PT ceramics-based multilayered actuators achieved displacements of 0.61 μm (0.15% strain) and 0.23 μm (0.057% strain) at a low applied peak voltage of 100 V. These results suggest that the developed multilayered actuator using high-performance textured 0.37PMN-0.29PIN-0.34PT ceramics has the potential to replace expensive single crystal-based actuators costeffectively.

The templated grain growth (TGG) method has gained significant attention for its ability to produce highly textured piezoelectric ceramics with significantly enhanced performance, making it a promising method for transducer and actuator applications. However, the texturing process using the TGG method requires the optimization of multiple steps, which can be challenging for beginners in this field. Therefore, in this tutorial, we provide an overview of the TGG method mainly based on our previous published works, including its various processing steps such as synthesizing anisotropic-shaped templates with size and size distribution control using the molten salt synthesis technique, tape casting, and identifying key factors for proper alignment of the templates in the target matrix system. Our goal is to provide a resource that can serve as a basic reference for researchers and engineers looking to improve their understanding and utilization of the TGG method for producing textured piezoelectric ceramics.

Multilayer Ceramic Capacitors (MLCCs) are essential passive components in the electronics industry, known for their high capacitance due to the multilayer structure comprising inner electrodes and dielectric layers. Nickel electrodes are commonly used in MLCCs as the inner electrodes, and to prevent oxidation during the co-firing of the dielectric layers with nickel electrodes, reducing atmosphere is required. However, reducing atmosphere sintering can also induce a reduction of the dielectric, necessitating precise control of oxygen partial pressure. To explore the possibility of using oxide electrodes that do not require reducing atmosphere sintering, we analyze the electrical properties of nickel oxide (NiO) as a potential candidate. As a preliminary study on its use as an alternative inner electrode, the correlation between microstructure and electrical properties of bulk NiO under different sintering conditions was investigated to gain insights into the conduction mechanisms of the material.

The value of experimentally obtained data becomes highest when they are properly analyzed based on valid logics. Many physical and chemical properties such as electrical and magnetic properties, chemical reaction rates, etc. are known to be thermally activated; thus, a proper understanding of thermally-activated processes is of importance. However, there are still a number of papers published with falsely analyzed data. In this contribution, we would like to revisit the meaning of thermally-activated processes, and then reanalyze a data set published misinterpreted. By showing a step-by-step procedure for the reanalysis, we would like to help researchers who may come across such data in the future not to make mistakes in their analysis.

Piezoelectric actuators, which utilize piezoelectric crystals or ceramics, are commonly used in precision positioning applications, offering high-speed response and precise control. However, the use of low-performance ceramics and expensive single crystals is limiting their versatile use in the actuator market, necessitating the development of both high-performance and cost-effective piezoelectric materials capable of delivering higher forces and displacements. The use of textured Pb (lead)-based piezoelectric ceramics formed by so-called templated grain growth method has been identified as a promising strategy to address the performance and cost issue. This review article provides insights into recent advances in texturing Pb-based piezoelectric ceramics for improved performance in actuation applications. We discussed the relevant issues in detail focusing on current challenges and emerging trends in the textured piezoelectric ceramics for their reliability and performance in actuator applications. We discussed in detail focusing on current challenges and emerging trends of textured piezoelectric ceramics for their reliability and performance in actuator applications. In conclusion, the article provides an outlook on the future direction of textured piezoelectric ceramics in actuator applications, highlighting the potential for further success in this field.

Bulk-sized PbTiO₃ (PT), which is widely known as a high-performance ferroelectric oxide but cannot be fabricated into a monolithic ceramic due to its high c/a ratio, was successfully prepared with a high tetragonality by partially substituting Ni ions for Pb ions using a solid-state reaction method. We found that Ni-doped PT was well-fabricated as a bulk monolith with a significant c/a ratio of ~1.06. X-ray diffraction on as-sintered and crushed samples revealed that NiTiO₃ secondary phase was present at the doping level of more than 2 at.%. Scanning electron microscopic study showed that NiTiO₃ secondary phase grew on the surface of PT specimens regardless of the doping level possibly due to the evaporation of Pb during sintering. We demonstrated that an unconventional introduction of Ni ions into A-site plays a key role on the fabrication of bulk PT, though how Ni ion functions should be studied further. We expect that this study contributes to a further development of displacive ferroelectric oxides with a high c/a ratio.

Spectroscopies are the most widely used for understanding the crystallographic, chemical, and physical aspects of materials; therefore, numerous commercial and non-commercial software have been introduced to help researchers better handling their spectroscopic data. However, not many researchers, especially early-stage ones, have a proper background knowledge on the choice of fitting functions and a technique for actual fitting, although the essence of such data analysis is peak fitting. In this regard, we present a practical guide for peak fitting for data analysis. We start with a basic-level theoretical background why and how a certain protocol for peak fitting works, followed by a step-by-step visualized demonstration how an actual fitting is performed. We expect that this contribution is sure to help many active researchers in the discipline of materials science better handle their spectroscopic data.

We investigated the origin of magnetic behaviors induced by an asymmetric spin exchange interaction in Fe-site engineered lead iron niobate [Pb(Fe_1/2Nb_1/2)O₃, PFN], which exhibits a room-temperature multiferroicity. The magnitude of spin exchange interaction was regulated by the introduced transition metals with a distinct Bohr magneton, i.e., Cr, Co, and Ni. All compositions were found to have a single-phase perovskite structure keeping their ferroelectric order except for Cr introduction. We discovered that the incorporation of each transition metal imposes a distinct magnetic behavior on the lead iron niobate system; antiferro-, hard ferro-, and soft ferromagnetism for Cr, Co, and Ni, respectively. This indicates that orbital occupancy and interatomic distance play key roles in the determination of magnetic behavior rather than the magnitude of the individual Bohr magneton. Further investigations are planned, such as X-ray absorption spectroscopy, to clarify the origin of magnetic properties in this system.

Multiferroics exhibiting the coexistence and a possible coupling of ferromagnetic and ferroelectric order are attracting widespread interest in terms of academic interests and possible applications. However, room-temperature single-phase multiferroics with soft ferromagnetic and displacive ferroelectric properties are still rare owing to the contradiction in the origin of ferromagnetism and ferroelectricity. In this study, we demonstrated that sizable ferromagnetic properties are induced in the ferroelectric bismuth ferrite-barium titanate system simply by introducing Co ions into the A-site. It is noted that all modified compositions exhibit well-saturated magnetic hysteresis loops at room temperature. Especially, 70Bi_0.95Co_0.05FeO₃-30Ba_0.95Co_0.05TiO₃ manifests noticeable ferroelectric and ferromagnetic properties; the spontaneous polarization and the saturation magnetization are 42 μC/㎠ and 3.6 emu/g, respectively. We expect that our methodology will be widely used in the development of perovskite-structured multiferroic oxides.

Electrical poling is a crucial step to convert ferroelectrics to piezoelectrics. Nevertheless, no systematic investigation on the effect of poling has been reported. Given that the poling involves an alignment of spontaneous polarization, the condition for poling should be different when a material has an internal bias field that influences the domain stability. Here, we present the effect of poling profile on the dielectric and piezoelectric properties in Mn-doped Pb(Mg_1/3Nb_2/3)O₃-29 mol%PbTiO₃ single crystal with an internal bias field. We showed that both the dielectric permittivity and the piezoelectric coefficient were further enhanced when the poling procedure ends with a field application along the opposite direction to the internal bias field. We expect that the current finding would give a clue to understanding the true mechanism for the electrical poling.

Theoretical background for the meaning of various piezoelectric properties can be easily found in a number of textbooks and academic papers. In contrast, how they are actually measured and characterized are rarely described, though this information would be the most important especially to the researchers who just started working on the field. It follows that this report was intended to provide a practical guidance for measuring basic but essential properties of ferroelectric-based piezoelectric materials. The discussion begins with how to measurement dielectric properties such as dielectric permittivity and loss (dissipation factor), followed by piezoelectric properties such as piezoelectric constants, electromechanical coupling factor, and quality factor as well as ferroelectric features, i.e., electric field dependent polarization hysteresis. Though our discussion here is limited to the techniques that are already well-standardized, it is expected to make a seed to be developed into more challenging and creative ones.

Magnetoelectric multiferroics, where a ferromagnetic and a ferroelectric order coexist and are coupled in a single phase, have been a hot topic in condensed matter physics for a long time owing to their ability to facilitate nextgeneration applications. In this review, we briefly introduce basic concept of the magnetoelectric multiferroic oxides as well as their history, physical origins, and significant achievements. The key moments contributing to the progress of magnetoelectric multiferroics are snapshotted chronologically, and then a discussion on the major magnetic exchange interactions and the ferroelectric origins are presented along with their coupling behavior. Furthermore, we argue a need for modifying the present classification of magnetoelectric multiferroics before presenting the evolution of multiferroics using representative examples with their properties such as magnetic/ferroelectric transition temperature, magnetization/electric polarization, and magnetoelectric coefficient. We hope that this brief review will provide the community researchers with insights into magnetoelectric multiferroic oxides.

Citations

• Multifunctional BiFeO₃ nanoparticles: structure–property investigation and application in pharmaceutical pollutant degradation
  Renuka Devee D, Christina Rhoda J, Muthukrishnan R.M., Fareenpoornima Rafiq, A. M. A. Henaish, Muthu Kathija M, D. E. El Refaay, Pourkodee D, Abdul Kader S.M.
  Applied Physics A.2026;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Relationship Between the Magnetoelectric Effect and Local Magnetic and Electric Moments in Paramagnetic Terbium Langasite
  A. Yu. Tikhanovskii, V. Yu. Ivanov, A. M. Kuzmenko, A. A. Mukhin
  JETP Letters.2026; 124(1): 49.     CrossRef

We investigated the effect of Bi1/2(Na0.82K0.18)1/2TiO3 (BNKT) modification on the ferroelectric and electric-field-induced strain (EFIS) properties of lead-free 0.97Bi1/2(Na0.82K0.18)1/2TiO3-0.03LaFeO3 (BNKTLF) ceramics as a function of BNKT content (x= 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.5, and 1). BNKT-modified BNKTLF powders were synthesized using a conventional solid-state reaction method. As the BNKT content x increased from 0 to 1 the normalized electric-field-induced strain (S_{max}/E_{max}) was observed to increase at relatively low fields, i.e., below the poling field. Moreover, BNKTLF-30BNKT showed about 460 pm/V as low as at 3 kV/mm, which is a considerably high value among the lead-free systems reported so far. Consequently, it was confirmed that ceramic-ceramic composite, a mixture of an ergodic relaxor matrix and embedded ferroelectric seeds, is a salient way to make lead-free piezoelectrics practical with enhanced EFIS at low field as well as less hysterical.