A review of progress in theoretical modeling of polarization dynamics in ferroelectric materials

Ferroelectric materials are considered candidates for functional device application since their discovery in 1920. The functionality is realized by polarization evolution itself or the resulting effects. Studies on ferroelectrics have been going on over a century with a rough journey, because they have the excellent physical properties and also the fatal disadvantages for the device applications, where polarization microstructure and the dynamics are always the core issues. The demand for miniaturization, low energy consumption, and intelligence of devices leads to the advancement of the studies on the polarization microstructure and dynamics towards microscopic and ultrafast scales, as well as precise manipulation. This review mainly focuses on the inherent logic of the development of the theoretical modeling on the polarization dynamics. We would like to discuss the historical background of the development of theoretical models and their limitations, following the historical trajectory how to understand the multiscale nature of polarization microstructure and dynamics and the developing demand of functional devices applications, based on which the prospect and future development direction of theoretical modeling are proposed.