Recent advances in the development of novel methods for the local characterization of ferroelectric domains open up new opportunities not only to image, but also to control and to create desired domain configurations (domain engineering). The morphotropic and polymorphic phase boundaries that are frequently used to increase the electromechanical and dielectric performance of ferroelectric ceramics have a tremendous effect on the domain structure, which can serve as a signature of complex polarization states and link local and macroscopic piezoelectric and dielectric responses. This is especially important for the study of lead-free ferroelectric ceramics, which is currently replacing traditional lead-containing materials, and great efforts are devoted to increasing their performance to match that of lead zirconate titanate (PZT). In this work, we provide a short overview of the recent progress in the imaging of domain structure in two major families of ceramic lead-free systems based on BiFeO₃ (BFO) and (Ka0.5Na0.5)NbO₃ (KNN). This can be used as a guideline for the understanding of domain processes in lead-free piezoelectric ceramics and provide further insight into the mechanisms of structure-property relationship in these technologically important material families.
Keywords: BFO; KNN; MPB; PPB; domain structure; local switching; piezoelectric properties.