Local structure analysis of BaTiO3–KNbO3 solid solution

The atomic-scale structure of a solid solution of BaTiO3 (BT) and KNbO3 (KN) has been studied using high-energy X-ray diffraction, X-ray absorption fine structure, and atomic pair-distribution function analysis techniques. We prepared BT–KN solid solution using KNbTiO5, in which Ti and Nb atoms are arranged randomly. The average structure of the BT–KN solid solution was cubic and the local structure is also reproduced by the cubic structure. It is rare that a solid solution synthesized from ferroelectric materials has the local structure of a paraelectric material. Since the original correlation of BT or KN was lost, ferroelectricity disappeared in the BT–KN solid solution. (author)