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We present results of detailed investigation of the crystal structure of Pb1−3x/2Lax(Zr1−yTiy)O3 solid solutions. In this letter our attention is concentrated on the series of solid solutions with x = 6% usually referred to as relaxor ferroelectrics. We have established the reasons for the non-cubic crystal structure of these solid solutions at the temperatures below TC. It is demonstrated that the peculiarities of the properties of Pb1−3x/2Lax(Zr1−yTiy)O3 depend on the position of a particular solid solution with respect to the hysteresis ferroelectric–antiferroelectric region in the ‘Ti-content–temperature’ phase diagram.

Articles you may be interested inElectric field induced metastable ferroelectric phase and its behavior in (Pb, La)(Zr, Sn, Ti)O3 antiferroelectric single crystal near morphotropic phase boundary Appl. Phys. Lett.High temperature x-ray diffraction studies on antiferroelectric and ferroelectric phase transitions in ( Pb 1−x Ba x ) ZrO 3 (x=0.05,0.10)Results of investigation of phenomena preceding the phase transition from paraelectric to dipole-ordered phases in Pb 1Ϫx (Li 1/2 La 1/2 ) x (Zr 1Ϫy Ti y )O 3 solid solutions with compositions close to the ferroelectric-antiferroelectric-paraelectric triple point in the Ti-concentration-temperature phase diagram are presented. X-ray diffraction and piezoelectric resonance methods are used for identification of the two-phase ͑antiferroelectric and ferroelectric͒ nuclei at the temperatures above the curie temperature. The relation between the presence of these two-phase nuclei in paraelectric phase of the compound and the diffuseness of the ordering phase transition is noted. The phenomenon of ion segregation at the interdomain boundary separating regions of ferroelectric and antiferroelectric phases and its role in enabling the observation of the piezoelectric resonance are discussed.

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The results of the first investigations of the process of local decomposition of lead-lanthanum zirconate-titanate solid solution in the vicinity of the interphase boundaries separating domains of coexisting ferroelectric and antiferroelectric phases are presented. The solid solution with the composition: 6 at% of La, 73 at% of Zr, and 27 at% of Ti is considered. The kinetics of the local decomposition of this solid solution in the process of aging of samples quenched down to room temperature from the paraelectric phase is studied. The mechanisms that define the kinetics of the process of establishment of the equilibrium state of coexisting domains of ferroelectric and antiferroelectric phases are discussed.

The Majorana Collaboration is assembling an array of HPGe detectors to search for neutrinoless double-beta decay in Ge-76. Initially, Majorana aims to construct a prototype module to demonstrate the potential of a future 1-tonne experiment. The design and potential reach of this prototype Demonstrator module are presented.Comment: Proceedings of NOW2010, Conca Specchiulla, Italy, September 4-11, 201

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