Polarization characteristics and electric domain evolution of ferroelectric and antiferroelectric materials

In this study, a phase-field model was developed to investigate the polarization behavior of ferroelectric and antiferroelectric materials. The effects of electric field, grain size, temperature and frequency on their polarization characteristics were systematically analyzed. The results show that increasing the electric field amplitude promotes faster domain alignment in ferroelectric materials and enlarges the hysteresis loop area, indicating increased energy dissipation. A decrease in grain size weakens ferroelectric properties, as reflected by lower coercive field, remanent polarization, and saturation polarization. Higher temperatures lead to reductions in remanent polarization, saturated polarization, and hysteresis loop area in both material types, while facilitating domain stabilization but reducing overall polarization capability. With increasing electric field frequency, the hysteresis loop area first increases and then decreases, and domain structure instability becomes more pronounced at high frequencies. These findings help to clarify the polarization behavior of ferroelectric and antiferroelectric materials under complex conditions and may serve as a reference for future studies on performance optimization. • A phase-field model was developed to study polarization in FE and AFE materials. • Higher electric field amplitude aligns domains and enlarges hysteresis loop area. • Smaller grains and higher temperatures degrade ferroelectric performance parameters. • Increased frequency nonlinearly alters polarization via domain restriction.