ISIS Neutron and Muon Source Data Journal
This is a page describing data taken during an experiment at the ISIS Neutron and Muon Source. Information about the ISIS Neutron and Muon Source can be found at https://www.isis.stfc.ac.uk.
Improper-Proper Ferroelectric Transition in Hexagonal Tungsten Bronzes
Abstract: In recent years there has been growing interest in ferroelectrics with novel mechanistic origins including improper, geometric and sliding ferroelectricity. Unlike proper ferroelectricity where polarisation is the primary transition order parameter, for improper ferroelectrics polarisation is secondary to some other (non-polar) distortion which drives symmetry breaking. This has implications for properties such as dielectric response and domain microstructure. Recently we identified the improper ferroelectric, CsNbW2O9 (CNW) which undergoes complex structural distortions driven by the Nb-O and W-O bonding. More recently, calculations show this compound has a competing proper ferroelectric distortion, implying that it may be possible to switch between these, but proper behaviour in CNW has not yet been observed. The Rb-analogue, RbNbW2O9, is a proper ferroelectric and a complete solid solution exists with CNW, Cs1-xRbxNbW2O9. Somewhere in this series it is likely that the balance of competition between improper and proper ferroelectricity would allow a transition between the two a phenomenon which has never been reported before, but which offers exciting new functionality. The aim of this study is to use neutron diffraction to probe the structure of these materials as a function of temperature to look for such a transition.
Principal Investigator: Professor Finlay Morrison
Experimenter: Mr Toby Fairs
Experimenter: Dr Olivia Baxter
Local Contact: Dr Ronald Smith
Experimenter: Mr Diogo Alexandre Fernandes De Almeida
DOI: 10.5286/ISIS.E.RB2610048
ISIS Experiment Number: RB2610048
| Part DOI | Instrument | Public release date | Download Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10.5286/ISIS.E.RB2610048-1 | POLARIS | 13 October 2029 | Download |
Publisher: STFC ISIS Neutron and Muon Source
Data format: RAW/Nexus
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Data Citation
The recommended format for citing this dataset in a research
publication is as:
[author], [date], [title], [publisher],
[doi]
For Example:
Professor Finlay Morrison et al; (2026): Improper-Proper Ferroelectric Transition in Hexagonal Tungsten Bronzes, STFC ISIS Neutron and Muon Source, https://doi.org/10.5286/ISIS.E.RB2610048
Data is released under the CC-BY-4.0 license.
