Metastable Ferroelectric Phase Induced by Electric Field in xPb(Zn_1/3Nb_2/3)O₃–(1–x)Pb(Zr_0.95Ti_0.05)O₃ Ceramics

Abstract

A xPb(Zn 1/3 Nb 2/3 )O 3 -(1-x)Pb(Zr 0.95 Ti 0.05 )O 3 (xPZN-(1-x) PZT) system close to antiferroelectric-ferroelectric (AFE-FE) morphotropic phase boundary has been prepared and investigated. The XRD results reveal PZN addition induces a phase transition from the orthorhombic (AFE) to rhombohedral (FE) phase through a phase coexistence region (AFE+FE). The polarization-electric field (P-E) measurements indicate that the AFE phase can be induced into a metastable FE (FE m ) phase. And the FE m can recover to AFE around a critical temperature indicated by temperature-dependent P-E loops. A composition-temperature phase diagram was generalized within a certain range of PZN content in which an AFE-FE phase boundary connecting orthorhombic antiferroelectric to rhombohedral ferroelectric phase zones is formed near room temperature.H.-E. Kim-contributing editor Manuscript No. 37316.