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Title: An incommensurate-commensurate phase transformation in antiferroelectric tin-modified lead zirconate titanate

Journal Article · · Journal of Materials Research; (United States)
; ;  [1]
  1. Department of Materials Science and Engineering and Materials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801 (United States)

Antiferroelectric tin-modified lead zirconate titanate ceramics (PZST), with 42 at. % Sn and 4 at. % Ti, were studied by hot- and cold-stage transmission electron microscopy and selected area electron diffraction techniques. The previously reported tetragonal antiferroelectric state is shown to be an incommensurate orthorhombic state. Observations revealed the existence of incommensurate 1/[ital x][l angle]110[r angle] superlattice reflections below the temperature of the dielectric maximum. The modulation wavelength for this incommensurate structure was found to be metastably locked-in near and below room temperature. An incommensurate-commensurate orthorhombic antiferroelectric transformation was then observed at lower temperatures. However, an intermediate condition was observed over a relatively wide temperature range which was characterized by an intergrowth of [l angle]110[r angle] structural modulations, which was strongly diffuse along the [l angle]110[r angle]. These structural observations were correlated with dispersion in the dielectric properties in the same temperature range. No previous reports of an incommensurate orthorhombic antiferroelectric state or an incommensurate-commensurate orthorhombic antiferroelectric transformation are know to exist.

DOE Contract Number:
AC02-76ER01198
OSTI ID:
6661473
Journal Information:
Journal of Materials Research; (United States), Vol. 10:2; ISSN 0884-2914
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English