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Title: Structured diffuse scattering and polar nano-regions in the Ba(Ti{sub 1-} {sub x} Sn {sub x} )O{sub 3} relaxor ferroelectric system

Journal Article · · Journal of Solid State Chemistry
OSTI ID:21015722
 [1];  [2];  [3]
  1. Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200 (Australia)
  2. Electronic Materials Research Laboratory (EMRL), Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an (China)
  3. Research School of Earth Sciences, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200 (Australia)

The observation via electron diffraction of relatively sharp G{+-}{l_brace}001{r_brace}* sheets of diffuse intensity arising from the large amplitude excitation of inherently polar, transverse optical modes of distortion in Ba(Ti{sub 1-} {sub x} Sn {sub x} )O{sub 3} (BTS), 0.1{<=}x{<=}0.5, samples, both at room temperature as well as liquid nitrogen temperature, shows that the polar nano-regions (PNRs) in these relaxor ferroelectric materials correspond to the same highly anisotropic <001> chain dipoles as are characteristic of the normal ferroelectric end member BaTiO{sub 3} itself. The correlation length along the chain of these 1-d PNRs can, in principle, be determined from the width of the observed {l_brace}001{r_brace}* diffuse sheets in reciprocal space and is estimated to be at least 5 nm even for the higher x samples. The distribution of the substitutional Sn ions thus appears to have only a minor effect upon the correlation length along the <001> chain dipole directions. It is suggested that the role of the dopant Sn ions is not to directly induce PNRs but rather to set up random local strain fields preventing the condensation of long wavelength homogeneous strain distortions of the unit cell thereby suppressing transverse correlations of the <001> chain dipoles and the development of long-range ordered ferroelectric state/s. - Graphical abstract: The characteristic G{+-}{l_brace}001{r_brace}* sheets of diffuse intensity characteristic of the relaxor ferroelectric Ba(Ti{sub 1-} {sub x} Sn {sub x} )O{sub 3} (BTS), 0.1{<=}x{<=}0.5, system along with the inherently polar, transverse optical modes of distortion responsible.

OSTI ID:
21015722
Journal Information:
Journal of Solid State Chemistry, Vol. 180, Issue 3; Other Information: DOI: 10.1016/j.jssc.2006.12.013; PII: S0022-4596(06)00646-3; Copyright (c) 2006 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0022-4596
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English