Published July 4, 2008 | Version v1
Journal article

Pressure-Induced Phase Transition in PbSc0.5Ta0.5O3 as a Model Pb-Based Perovksite-Type Relaxor Ferroelectric

  • 1. Mineralogisch-Petrographisches Institut, Universitaet Hamburg, Grindelallee 48, 20146 Hamburg (Germany)
  • 2. Virginia Tech Crystallography Laboratory, Department of Geosciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24060 (United States)
  • 3. Institute of Solid State Physics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Boulevard Tzarigradsko Chausse 72, 1784 Sofia (Bulgaria)
  • 4. Institut fuer Mineralogie, Petrologie und Kristallographie, Universitaet Marburg, Hans-Meerwein-Strasse, 35032 Marburg (Germany)
  • 5. Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, Bundesallee 100, 38116 Braunschweig (Germany)

Description

We report pressure-induced structural changes in PbSc0.5Ta0.5O3 studied by single-crystal x-ray diffraction and Raman scattering. The appearance of a soft mode, a change in the volume compressibility, broadening of the diffraction peaks, and suppression of the x-ray diffuse scattering show that a phase transition occurs near pc∼1.9 GPa. The critical pressure is associated with a decoupling of the displacements of the B site and Pb cations in the existing polar nanoregions, leading to the suppression of B-cation off-center shifts and enhancement of the ferroic distortion in the Pb-O system

Additional details

Publishing Information

Journal Title
Physical Review Letters
Journal Volume
101
Journal Issue
1
Journal Page Range
p. 017602-017602.4
ISSN
0031-9007
CODEN
PRLTAO

Optional Information

Notes
(c) 2008 The American Physical Society