1,954 research outputs found
A statistical model approximation for perovskite solid-solutions: a Raman study of lead-zirconate-titanate single crystal
Lead titanate (PbTiO3) is a classical example of a ferroelectric perovskite
oxide illustrating a displacive phase transition accompanied by a softening of
a symmetry-breaking mode. The underlying assumption justifying the soft-mode
theory is that the crystal is macroscopically sufficiently uniform so that a
meaningful free energy function can be formed. In contrast to PbTiO3,
experimental studies show that the phase transition behaviour of
lead-zirconate-titanate solid solution (PZT) is far more subtle. Most of the
studies on the PZT system have been dedicated to ceramic or powder samples, in
which case an unambiguous soft-mode study is not possible, as modes with
different symmetries appear together. Our Raman scattering study on
titanium-rich PZT single crystal shows that the phase transitions in PZT cannot
be described by a simple soft-mode theory. In strong contrast to PbTiO3,
splitting of transverse E-symmetry modes reveals that there are different
locally-ordered regions. The role of crystal defects, random distribution of Ti
and Zr at the B-cation site and Pb ions shifted away from their ideal
positions, dictates the phase transition mechanism. A statistical model
explaining the observed peak splitting and phase transformation to a complex
state with spatially varying local order in the vicinity of the morphotropic
phase boundary is given.Comment: Article contains four black-and-white figures, one colour figure and
one Table. Symmetry analysis and details of the model are given in Appendices
I and II, respectivel
Spin dynamical properties and orbital states of the layered perovskite La_2-2x_Sr_1+2x_Mn_2_O_7 (0.3 <= x < 0.5)
Low-temperature spin dynamics of the double-layered perovskite
La_2-2x_Sr_1+2x_Mn_2_O_7 (LSMO327) was systematically studied in a wide hole
concentration range (0.3 <= x < 0.5). The spin-wave dispersion, which is almost
perfectly 2D, has two branches due to a coupling between layers within a
double-layer. Each branch exhibits a characteristic intensity oscillation along
the out-of-plane direction. We found that the in-plane spin stiffness constant
and the gap between the two branches strongly depend on x. By fitting to
calculated dispersion relations and cross sections assuming Heisenberg models,
we have obtained the in-plane (J_para), intra-bilayer (J_perp) and
inter-bilayer (J') exchange interactions at each x. At x=0.30, J_para=-4meV and
J_perp=-5meV, namely almost isotropic and ferromagnetic. Upon increasing x,
J_perp rapidly approaches zero while |J_para| increases slightly, indicating an
enhancement of the planar magnetic anisotropy. At x=0.48, J_para reaches -9meV,
while J_perp turns to +1meV indicating an antiferromagnetic interaction. Such a
drastic change of the exchange interactions can be ascribed to the change of
the relative stability of the d_x^2-y^2 and d_3z^2-r^2 orbital states upon
doping. However, a simple linear combination of the two states results in an
orbital state with an orthorhombic symmetry, which is inconsistent with the
tetragonal symmetry of the crystal structure. We thus propose that an ``orbital
liquid'' state realizes in LSMO327, where the charge distribution symmetry is
kept tetragonal around each Mn site.Comment: 10 pages including 7 figure
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