Phase diagram and incommensurate antiferroelectric structure in (Pb{sub 1−1.5x}La{sub x})(Zr{sub 0.42}Sn{sub 0.40}Ti{sub 0.18})O{sub 3} ceramics discovered by band-to-band optical transitions

Journal Article · Mon Sep 29 00:00:00 EDT 2014 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4897357· OSTI ID:22350793

Ding, X. J.; Xu, L. P.; Chu, J. H. ^[1]; Chen, X. F.; Wang, G. S.; Dong, X. L. ^[2]

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1. Key Laboratory of Polar Materials and Devices, Department of Electronic Engineering, East China Normal University, Ministry of Education, Shanghai 200241 (China)
2. Key Laboratory of Inorganic Functional Materials and Devices, Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200050 (China)

Optical properties and phase transitions of (Pb{sub 1−1.5x}La{sub x})(Zr{sub 0.42}Sn{sub 0.40}Ti{sub 0.18})O{sub 3} (PLZST 100x/42/40/18) ceramics with different compositions have been investigated by temperature dependent spectroscopic ellipsometry. Two interband critical points (E{sub cp1} and E{sub cp2}) located at about 3.9 and 5.1 eV can be obtained by fitting standard line shapes to the second derivatives of the complex dielectric functions. Based on the band-to-band transitions, the phase diagram of PLZST ceramics can be well presented. Moreover, a peculiar incommensurate antiferroelectric state has been found to exist above the temperature of the normal commensurate antiferroelectric tetragonal structure. It can be stable below Curie temperature, evolving slowly with decreasing temperature towards the commensurate structure, which is due to strong pinning of incommensurate domain walls. The phenomena can result from a competition between ferroelectric ordering and antiferroelectric ordering caused by the lanthanum modification.

• OSTI ID: 22350793
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 105, Issue 13; Other Information: (c) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
CERAMICS
CURIE POINT
ELLIPSOMETRY
EV RANGE
FERROELECTRIC MATERIALS
LANTHANUM COMPOUNDS
LEAD COMPOUNDS
MODIFICATIONS
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHASE DIAGRAMS
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
TIN COMPOUNDS
TITANIUM COMPOUNDS
ZIRCONIUM COMPOUNDS