Elementary Pt/SrBi2Ta2O9/Pt ferroelectric capacitors have been structurally characterized by x-ray diffraction using highly brilliant synchrotron radiation. A microstructural analysis of the stacked layers was performed from the collection of high-quality one-dimensional and two-dimensional diffraction patterns. During x-ray diffraction experiments, peculiar electrical behaviors under irradiation were evidenced. Indeed, depending upon their initial state (poled or nonpoled), the capacitors have exhibited drastic changes in their electrical characteristics after or under irradiation, both “fatiguelike” (polarization reduction) and/or “imprintlike” (voltage shift) phenomena being observed. Using a sample environment specially designed to measure in situ the evolutions of ferroelectric characteristics, the kinetics of both degradation and restoration of ferroelectric properties of the SrBi2Ta2O9-based capacitors under x-ray radiation have been analyzed. Reduction and recovery of switchable polarization have been explained in terms of interaction between ferroelectric domain configuration and photoinduced charge carriers. Mechanisms of charge trapping proposed in the literature are discussed to explain aging and rejuvenation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]