Electric-field induced phase transitions in 9/65/35 PLZT ceramics

Abstract

Abstract Transition lines between various phases in the electric-field temperature phase diagram of 9/65/35 PLZT ceramics were determined by measurements of the temperature and electric-field-dependent dielectric constant. Above the critical field Ec the dc bias electric field induces relaxor to the ferroelectric (FE) phase transition. Transition lines were found to depend on the direction of the approach — the temperature or dc bias field direction — to the FE phase. Also, a strong impact of the electric field on the stability of the FE phase with the increasing temperature was found. Below Ec the system exhibits a transition line between the ergodic and nonergodic relaxor state. The experimental results are compared with the results of a spherical random bond-random field model of relaxor ferroelectrics.