601 research outputs found
Central mode and soft mode behavior in PbMg1/Nb2/3O3 relaxor ferroelectric
The relaxor ferroelectric PbMg1/Nb2/3O3 was investigated by means of
broad-band dielectric and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) transmission
spectroscopy in the frequency range from 1 MHz to 15 THz at temperatures
between 20 and 900 K using PMN films on infrared transparent sapphire
substrates. While thin film relaxors display reduced dielectric permittivity at
low frequencies, their high frequency intrinsic or lattice response is shown to
be the same as single crystal/ceramic specemins. It was observed that in
contrast to the results of inelastic neutron scattering, the optic soft mode
was underdamped at all temperatures. On heating, the TO1 soft phonon followed
the Cochran law with an extrapolated critical temperature equal to the Burns
temperature of 670 K and softened down to 50 cm-1. Above 450 K the soft mode
frequency leveled off and slightly increased above the Burns temperature. A
central mode, describing the dynamics of polar nanoclusters appeared below the
Burns temperature at frequencies near the optic soft mode and dramatically
slowed down below 1 MHz on cooling below room temperature. It broadened on
cooling, giving rise to frequency independent losses in microwave and lower
frequency range below the freezing temperature of 200 K. In addition, a new
heavily damped mode appeared in the FTIR spectra below the soft mode frequency
at room temperature and below. The origin of this mode as well as the
discrepancy between the soft mode damping in neutron and infrared spectra is
discussed.Comment: 7 pages with 7 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.
Landau thermodynamic potential for BaTiO_3
In the paper, the description of the dielectric and ferroelectric properties
of BaTiO_3 single crystals using Landau thermodynamic potential is addressed.
Our results suggest that when using the sixth-power free energy expansion of
the thermodynamic potential, remarkably different values of the fourth-power
coefficient, \beta (the coefficient of P^4_i terms), are required to adequately
reproduce the nonlinear dielectric behavior of the paraelectric phase and the
electric field induced ferroelectric phase, respectively. In contrast, the
eighth-power expansion with a common set of coefficients enables a good
description for both phases at the same time. These features, together with the
data available in literature, strongly attest to the necessity of the
eighth-power terms in Landau thermodynamic potential of BaTiO_3. In addition,
the fourth-power coefficients, \beta and \xi (the coefficient of P^2_i P^2_j
terms), were evaluated from the nonlinear dielectric responses along [001],
[011], and [111] orientations in the paraelectric phase. Appreciable
temperature dependence was evidenced for both coefficients above T_C. Further
analysis on the linear dielectric response of the single domain crystal in the
tetragonal phase demonstrated that temperature dependent anharmonic
coefficients are also necessary for an adequate description of the dielectric
behavior in the ferroelectric phase. As a consequence, an eighth-power
thermodynamic potential, with some of the anharmonic coefficients being
temperature dependent, was proposed and compared with the existing potentials.
In general, the potential proposed in this work exhibits a higher quality in
reproducing the dielectric and ferroelectric properties of this prototypic
ferroelectric substance.Comment: 7 figures, 5 table
Evidence for dielectric aging due to progressive 180 domain wall pinning in polydomain Pb(Zr0.45Ti0.55)O3 thin films
An evidence that the dielectric ageing in the polydomain Pb(Zr0.45Ti0.55)O3
thin films is controlled by progressive pinning of 180 domain walls is
presented. To provide such a conclusion, we use a general method, which is
based on the study of the time evolution of the nonlinear, but anhysteretic,
dielectric response of the ferroelectric to a weak electric field. A
thermodynamic model of the ferroelectric system where the dielectric response
is controlled by bending movements of pinned 180 domain walls is developed.
Within this model, the nonlinear permittivity of the ferroelectric is expressed
as a function of the microstructural parameters of the domain pattern. It is
shown that using the analysis of the time evolution of the nonlinear
permittivity, it is possible to estimate changes in the concentration of the
pinning centers that block the movements of the 180 domain walls during aging
in polydomain perovskite ferroelectrics.Comment: This version is modifed and corrected according to recently published
Erratum: Phys. Rev. B 79, 219903(E) (2009). 21 pages, 3 figure
Bichiral structure of feroelectric domain wall driven by flexoelectricity
The influence of flexoelectric coupling on the internal structure of neutral
domain walls in tetragonal phase of perovskite ferroelectrics is studied. The
effect is shown to lower the symmetry of 180-degree walls which are oblique
with respect to the cubic crystallographic axes, while {100} and {110} walls
stay "untouched". Being of the Ising type in the absence of the flexoelectric
interaction, the oblique domain walls acquire a new polarization component with
a structure qualitatively different from the classical Bloch-wall structure. In
contrast to the Bloch-type walls, where the polarization vector draws a helix
on passing from one domain to the other, in the flexoeffect-affected wall, the
polarization rotates in opposite directions on the two sides of the wall and
passes through zero in its center. Since the resulting polarization profile is
invariant upon inversion with respect to the wall center it does not brake the
wall symmetry in contrast to the classical Bloch-type walls. The flexoelectric
coupling lower the domain wall energy and gives rise to its additional
anisotropy that is comparable to that conditioned by the elastic anisotropy.
The atomic orderof- magnitude estimates shows that the new polarization
component P2 may be comparable with spontaneous polarization Ps, thus
suggesting that, in general, the flexoelectric coupling should be mandatory
included in domain wall simulations in ferroelectrics. Calculations performed
for barium titanate yields the maximal value of the P2, which is much smaller
than that of the spontaneous polarization. This smallness is attributed to an
anomalously small value of a component of the "strain-polarization"
elecrostictive tensor in this material
On the Universality of the Entropy-Area Relation
We present an argument that, for a large class of possible dynamics, a
canonical quantization of gravity will satisfy the Bekenstein-Hawking
entropy-area relation. This result holds for temperatures low compared to the
Planck temperature and for boundaries with areas large compared to Planck area.
We also relate our description, in terms of a grand canonical ensemble, to
previous geometric entropy calculations using area ensembles.Comment: 6 page
Processing and properties of ferroelectric relaxor lead scandium tantalate Pb(Sc1/2Ta1/2)O3 thin films
Thin films of Pb(Sc1/2Ta1/2)O3 (PST) were fabricated using an optimized chemical solution deposition procedure involving the de-hydration of scandium acetate and the addition of up to 30% excess lead in solution. The choice of substrate was found to impact the thermal induced stress in the films as confirmed by wafer bending and in-plane grazing angle x-ray diffraction measurements. The presence of either a compressive or a tensile in-plane stress led to a reduction in the temperature of the dielectric maximum, whereas the value of the dielectric maximum remained relatively unchanged; its value reduced by an order of magnitude compared with ceramic samples. It is concluded that mechanical stress alone is not the sole factor in the reduction of PST thin film permittivity. Microstructural features resulting from processing induced defects or an incomplete transformation to the relaxor state may be responsible for this commonly observed phenomeno
Anharmonicity of BaTiO_3 single crystals
By analyzing the dielectric non-linearity with the Landau thermodynamic
expansion, we find a simple and direct way to assess the importance of the
eighth order term. Following this approach, it is demonstrated that the eighth
order term is essential for the adequate description of the para/ferroelectric
phase transition of BaTiO_3. The temperature dependence of the quartic
coefficient \beta is accordingly reconsidered and is strongly evidenced by the
change of its sign above 165 C. All these findings attest to the strong
polarization anharmonicity of this material, which is unexpected for classical
displacive ferroelectrics.Comment: 4 figures, to be published in Phys. Rev.
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