Relation between Fractal Inhomogeneity and In/Nb-Arrangement in Pb(In1/2Nb1/2)O3

Abstract

Relaxor ferroelectrics show substantial responses to electric fields. The key difference from normal ferroelectrics is a temperature-dependent inhomogeneous structure and its dynamics. The lead-based complex perovskite Pb(In1/2Nb1/2)O3 is an intriguing system in which the inhomogeneous structure can be controlled by thermal treatment. Herein, we report investigations of the phase transitions in single crystals of Pb(In1/2Nb1/2)O3 via changing the degree of randomness in which In and Nb occupy the B site of the ABO3 perovskite structure. We studied the dynamic properties of the structure using inelastic light scattering and the static properties using diffuse X-ray scattering. These properties depend on the degree of randomness with which the B site is occupied. When the distribution of occupied In/Nb sites is regular, the antiferroelectric phase is stabilised by a change in the collective transverse-acoustic wave, which suppresses long-range ferroelectric order and the growth of the inhomogeneous structure. However, when the B site is occupied randomly, a fractal structure grows as the temperature decreases below T *~475 K, and nanosized ferroelectric domains are produced by the percolation of self-similar and static polar nanoregions.

T* of Relaxor Ferroelectric (1 − x) Pb(Zn1/3Nb2/3)O3‐xPbTiO3 Single Crystals Revisited Using Brillouin Spectroscopy

“…Especially, the sound velocity and the associated attenuation coefficient exhibited the steepest slope at T* below which the growth of PNRs was suppressed [18]. In addition, experimental evidences of T* for other disordered systems, such as one-to-one B-site disordered and ordered relaxors [19][20], multiferroic relaxor [21], tungsten-bronze-type uniaxial relaxor [22], and relaxor polymers [23], were also suggested indicating the universality of this intermediate temperature.…”

Toward Ecofriendly Piezoelectric Ceramics—Reduction of Energy and Environmental Footprint from Conceptualization to Deployment

“…as a result of an inhomogeneous composition at the subnanoscale level that possesses various nanoregions with local dipole orientations. [24][25][26][27][28] In the pursuit of exploring theoretical solutions to understand ferroelectric oxide perovskites, it is quintessential to elucidate i) the correlation of the composition and structure to the consequent microscopic and macroscopic properties and ii) the role of chemical and physical interactions in potentially better or worse overall material behavior.…”

Time-Resolved Nanobeam X-ray Diffraction of a Relaxor Ferroelectric Single Crystal under an Alternating Electric Field

“…The X-ray beam size of 300 nm is much larger than the PNR's size of 20 nm [21]. However, a fractal character has been found in relaxor ferroelectric perovskites by quasi-elastic light scattering and X-ray diffuse scattering measurements [32,33]. The nanobeam XRD detects submicron scale structural inhomogeneity originating from the fractal character.…”