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Main Authors: Martinc, Matej, Dražič, Goran, Kokalj, Anton, Žiberna, Katarina, Roknić, Janina, Poberžnik, Matic, Džeroski, Sašo, Golob, Andreja Benčan
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
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Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.15582
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author Martinc, Matej
Dražič, Goran
Kokalj, Anton
Žiberna, Katarina
Roknić, Janina
Poberžnik, Matic
Džeroski, Sašo
Golob, Andreja Benčan
author_facet Martinc, Matej
Dražič, Goran
Kokalj, Anton
Žiberna, Katarina
Roknić, Janina
Poberžnik, Matic
Džeroski, Sašo
Golob, Andreja Benčan
contents Four-dimensional scanning transmission electron microscopy (4D-STEM) provides rich, atomic-scale insights into materials structures. However, extracting specific physical properties - such as polarization directions essential for understanding functional properties of ferroelectrics - remains a significant challenge. In this study, we systematically benchmark multiple machine learning models, namely ResNet, VGG, a custom convolutional neural network, and PCA-informed k-Nearest Neighbors, to automate the detection of polarization directions from 4D-STEM diffraction patterns in ferroelectric potassium sodium niobate. While models trained on synthetic data achieve high accuracy on idealized synthetic diffraction patterns of equivalent thickness, the domain gap between simulation and experiment remains a critical barrier to real-world deployment. In this context, a custom made prototype representation training regime and PCA-based methods, combined with data augmentation and filtering, can better bridge this gap. Error analysis reveals periodic missclassification patterns, indicating that not all diffraction patterns carry enough information for a successful classification. Additionally, our qualitative analysis demonstrates that irregularities in the model's prediction patterns correlate with defects in the crystal structure, suggesting that supervised models could be used for detecting structural defects. These findings guide the development of robust, transferable machine learning tools for electron microscopy analysis.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2603_15582
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Benchmarking Machine Learning Approaches for Polarization Mapping in Ferroelectrics Using 4D-STEM
Martinc, Matej
Dražič, Goran
Kokalj, Anton
Žiberna, Katarina
Roknić, Janina
Poberžnik, Matic
Džeroski, Sašo
Golob, Andreja Benčan
Materials Science
Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition
Four-dimensional scanning transmission electron microscopy (4D-STEM) provides rich, atomic-scale insights into materials structures. However, extracting specific physical properties - such as polarization directions essential for understanding functional properties of ferroelectrics - remains a significant challenge. In this study, we systematically benchmark multiple machine learning models, namely ResNet, VGG, a custom convolutional neural network, and PCA-informed k-Nearest Neighbors, to automate the detection of polarization directions from 4D-STEM diffraction patterns in ferroelectric potassium sodium niobate. While models trained on synthetic data achieve high accuracy on idealized synthetic diffraction patterns of equivalent thickness, the domain gap between simulation and experiment remains a critical barrier to real-world deployment. In this context, a custom made prototype representation training regime and PCA-based methods, combined with data augmentation and filtering, can better bridge this gap. Error analysis reveals periodic missclassification patterns, indicating that not all diffraction patterns carry enough information for a successful classification. Additionally, our qualitative analysis demonstrates that irregularities in the model's prediction patterns correlate with defects in the crystal structure, suggesting that supervised models could be used for detecting structural defects. These findings guide the development of robust, transferable machine learning tools for electron microscopy analysis.
title Benchmarking Machine Learning Approaches for Polarization Mapping in Ferroelectrics Using 4D-STEM
topic Materials Science
Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.15582