Modulation of the Physical Properties of Lead Zirconate by the Stress‐Induced Structural Defects

Abstract

The influence of the stress‐induced structural defects in PbZrO3 on its structural, optical, and dielectric properties is studied systematically for the first time. The PbZrO3 ceramics is prepared by a conventional solid state synthesis. The structural defects in PbZrO3 are generated by the combined action of mechanical compression due to applied pressure in the 40–320 MPa range and the shear strain appearing in the rotating Bridgman anvils. The pressure dependencies of the cell parameters, the mean size of coherent scattering regions and the microstrain, the Debye characteristic temperature, and the isotropic Debye–Waller factor are calculated from processing the X‐ray diffraction (XRD) data and commented on. The local structure around Pb and Zr atoms is probed with the X‐ray absorption near edge structure (XANES). This approach demonstrates the possibility of controlling the dielectric, electronic, and structural parameters of PbZrO3 by changing the concentration of the stress‐induced structural defects.