Nano-sized domain structures in the <i>psudo</i>cubic phase of (1-x)BiFeO₃-xBaTiO₃ (0.33＜x＜0.60)

Abstract

Nano-sized domain structures in the cubic phase of (1-x)BiFeO 3 -xBaTiO 3 with 0.33<x<0.60 were investigated by the transmission electron microscopy (TEM). From high-resolution TEM observation, it is revealed that the cubic phase in the x=0.35 and 0.50 compounds is characterized as nano-scaled coexisting state of the polar rhombohedral structure and the non-polar cubic one, which should be regarded as the psudo-cubic phase. On the other hand, both P-E hysteresis measurements and the TEM experiments revealed that the cubic phase without any distortion due to the coexisting state appears in the x=0.60 compound at room temperature. These results indicate the presence of the phase boundary between the psudo-cubic phase and the cubic one in 0.50<x<0.60.