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Rare-earth titanate oxides are believed to be prospective functional materials for photocatalytic and photoluminescent applications because of their excellent optical properties and thermal stability of their physical properties. However, the relationships between optical properties and photoelectron trapping mechanisms are unclear. Herein, the structure, electronic, and optical properties of pyrochlore-structure Re2Ti2O7 (Re = Sm and Eu) were investigated using the first-principles approach with the Hubbard parameter U (GGA + U). The calculated bandgap is 2.5 eV for Sm2Ti2O7 and 2.4 eV for Eu2Ti2O7, which is in good agreement with the experimental observation. The results indicate that the strongly localized f states at the top of valence band are charge-trapping sites for photoexcitation of Re2Ti2O7, where electrons can absorb photon energy and transfer from the valence band to the conduction band, resulting in the photocatalytic and/or fluorescent effects in the visible and early UV regions. The important optical parameters, dielectric function ε (ω) , refractive index n (ω) , extinction coefficient k (ω) , reflectivity R (ω) , absorption coefficient I (ω) , optical conductivity σ (ω) , and electron energy-loss L (ω) were studied in detail, indicating that these optical parameters of Sm2Ti2O7 and Eu2Ti2O7 are insensitive to the ultra-violet (UV) radiation, but both Sm2Ti2O7 and Eu2Ti2O7 exhibit excellent optical properties in the visible and early UV regions. This work provides a clear understanding on the photoelectron trapping mechanism of pyrochlore-structure Re2Ti2O7, which will help to improve the photocatalytic and photoluminescent performance of Re2Ti2O7 and broaden their applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adding excessive metal oxide doping to a powder batch is a known way to compensate for the loss of volatile cation species during high temperature sintering. An important case in the piezoelectric ceramics is the bismuth oxide in the lead-free ferroelectric ceramic bismuth sodium titanate (BNT). Building from the earlier knowledge about excessive bismuth oxide's influences on the properties of BNT, we further note that varying the sintering temperature can both control the distribution of excessive Bi3+ and impact the relaxor/normal ferroelectric behaviors and corresponding phase transition. In addition to the nature of polarization, the sintering temperature also significantly manipulates the electrical conductivity. A hypothetical mechanism for the resistive grain boundary is proposed, based on inferences from electrical—microstructure—processing relations in 85% Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3-15% BaTiO3 with batched Bi2O3 excess and acceptor Mg2+ in a co-doped strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whispering gallery mode resonators (WGMRs) have garnered significant interest due to their potential applications in the fields of electro-optic modulation and microwave to optical photon conversion. In this study, we have leveraged an electro-optic crystal, lead indium niobate-lead magnesium niobate-lead titanate (PIN-PMN-PT), to fabricate a high-quality WGMR. Our investigation revealed that the crystal composition used in this work is 0.24PIN-0.45PMN-0.31PT, and each element of the whole sample is homogeneously distributed. The dielectric properties of the sample revealed the necessity of limiting the temperature and external electric field frequency to below 100 °C and 106 Hz, respectively. The obtained optical quality factor value (Q value) of the resonator is ∼0.7 × 105. Impressively, our resonator could be conveniently tuned by exploiting the enormous inverse piezoelectric effect d31 of the crystal, thereby alleviating the need for precise fabrication. Furthermore, a theoretical analysis of our resonator revealed that a calculated resonance wavelength shift is within a broad range of 2.16 nm. Intriguingly, if the surface roughness of the resonator is reduced tenfold, we can increase the calculated Q value dependent on surface scattering by 104. Our finding showcases the tremendous potential of the PIN-PMN-PT crystal-based WGMR as versatile building blocks for a variety of applications in the burgeoning field of photonic technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sub-micrometer-sized (0.33 μm) polycrystalline powders of calcium copper titanate (CCTO) were synthesized via the solgel method. Compacted calcined powders were sintered at 900 °C/2h to obtain porous (<80% density) pellets. Subsequently, ZnO or SnO2 pastes (∼10 μm grain size) were smeared on either side of the pellets and sintered at 1100 °C/15 h, which yielded dense (>95% density) ceramics. X-ray structural investigations revealed the presence of ZnO or SnO2 traces in the bulk of the CCTO ceramics. Scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopic studies confirmed the diffusion and the segregation of these oxides at the grain boundaries. The dielectric and varistor properties of the ZnO or SnO2 diffused samples were found to be superior to that of pristine CCTO ceramics. For instance, the dielectric constant (ɛ′) of ZnO diffused ceramics exhibited a value as high as 2.4 × 104 (1 kHz, at room temperature) and a dielectric loss (D) of 0.059. Similarly, SnO2 diffused ceramics exhibited a dielectric constant of 2.7 × 104 (1 kHz, at room temperature) associated with a dielectric loss of 0.047. The figure of merit of varistor performance, i.e., nonlinear coefficient (α = 10.6), of the SnO2 diffused sample is significantly higher than that of ZnO diffused (α = 7.4) and pristine CCTO (α = 4.5) ceramics. The dielectric data obtained for both the pristine and ZnO or SnO2 diffused ceramics were rationalized by invoking Cole–Cole analysis. The thermal activation energy was estimated from the temperature-dependent dielectric data besides current (I)–voltage (V) characteristics. Equivalent circuit modeling of the Nyquist plots demonstrated that the inclusion of ZnO and SnO2 layers in CCTO ceramics remarkably improved the grain boundary resistance (Rgb) by 5-fold and 20-fold, respectively, which resulted in making CCTO a better dielectric. This methodology of fabricating ceramics via interfacial engineering could pave the way for obtaining superior CCTO ceramics associated with exotic functional properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structurally correlated ferroelectric phase transitions induced by temperature are reported for the solid solution Pb0.6Ca0.4TiO3 compound. Such phase transitions were analyzed by considering different parameters, such as lattice parameters, microstrain, dielectric properties, and thermal analysis. Synchrotron x-ray diffraction and Rietveld refinement studies revealed a tetragonal symmetry from room temperature up to ∼550 K and uniaxial microstrain from room temperature to ∼400 K. The first thermally driven phase transition observed was from displacive ferroelectric tetragonal symmetry to another non-displacive tetragonal symmetry. The next phase transition was from the tetragonal to cubic. The electric permittivity as a function of temperature for frequency from 1 kHz to 1 MHz and the differential scanning calorimetry report features typical of ferroelectric–paraelectric phase transition only around 400 K, and no other abrupt change in properties is observed at 550 K, indicating the sequence of first- and then second-order phase transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single crystals of undoped and Nb doped sodium and potassium-bismuth titanate at the morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) composition [(Na0.41K0.09Bi0.50)TiO3: NKBT] were grown from high temperature solutions. The effect of Nb doping on the electronic property of NKBT was investigated by optical transmission and photoelectron spectroscopy (PES). The optical absorption shows that the bandgap having the lowest energy is indirect in nature and increases with the increase in the Nb concentration in the lattice. The estimated Urbach energy increases with the increase of Nb concentration signifying an increase in the disorder in the lattice on Nb doping. The PES revealed that the valence band maxima (VBM) exhibit red shift on Nb doping. It also revealed the presence of in-gap states probably due to Ti3+ defect and oxygen vacancy. Moreover, inline with the optical measurement, the PES showed that there is a decrease in the energy gap between the VBM and defect state with the Nb doping. Furthermore, the angle resolved PES measurement confirmed the presence of both the direct and indirect bandgaps in the crystal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uniformly acceptor doped Pb(Zr0.48Ti0.52)O3 (PZT) films with 2 mol. % Mg or Fe prepared by chemical solution deposition exhibited decreased dielectric constants and remanent polarizations relative to undoped PZT. For highly accelerated lifetime testing (HALT) at 200 °C and an electric field of 300 kV/cm in the field up direction, the HALT lifetimes (t50) for undoped, Mg-doped, and Fe-doped PZT films were shortened from 2.81 ± 0.1 to 0.21 ± 0.1 and 0.54 ± 0.04 h, respectively. Through thermally stimulated depolarization current measurement, significant V O ∙ ∙ electromigration was found in homogeneously Mg-doped PZT thin films, a major factor in their short HALT lifetime. Because the concentration of oxygen vacancies increases with uniform acceptor doping, the lifetime decreases. In contrast, when a thin layer of Mg-doped or Fe-doped PZT was deposited on undoped PZT or Nb-doped PZT (PNZT), the HALT lifetimes were longer than those of pure PZT or PNZT films. This confirms prior work on PNZT films with a Mn-doped top layer, demonstrating that the HALT lifetime increases for composite films when a layer with multivalent acceptors is present near the negative electrode during HALT. In that case, the compensating electrons are trapped, presumably on the multivalent acceptors, thus increasing the lifetime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although a large electric-induced strain has been obtained in sodium bismuth titanate (Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3, BNT)-based ceramics using chemical modifications, the effect of initial BNT-based ceramic's polarity on modulating strain properties was rarely reported. Herein, we comparatively studied the effect of tantalum (Ta) doping on two BNT-based ceramics with different ferroelectric polarities, namely, (Bi0.5Na0.5)0.935Ba0.065TiO3–0.7%Bi2FeCrO6 and (Bi0.98Gd0.02)0.5Na0.5TiO3. The former locates at the morphotropic phase boundary (MPB), whereas the latter is close to pristine BNT ceramics. An effective critical point, located at the crossover between ferroelectric and relaxor, is constructed in the former ceramic and significantly enhances strain properties, whereas a useless one is found in the latter ceramic due to the retention of a non-ergodic relaxor and has merely limited ability to promote strain properties. Our results demonstrate that the ferroelectric polarity of the initial BNT-based ceramic matrix also plays an important role in pursuing high strain properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The micrometer-sized nickelate–titanate heterojunctions with LaNiO3 (LNO) electrode have been fabricated to investigate the dominant current transport mechanisms under positive and negative bias. The LNO/SmNiO3 (SNO)/Nb:SrTiO3 (NSTO) heterojunction exhibits a highly rectifying feature with a very low leakage in a broad temperature region (from 200 to 425 K), which is attributed to the formation of a Schottky-like barrier at the SNO/NSTO interface. In addition, it is found that the trap defects (i.e., oxygen vacancies) play an essential role in determining the current density (J)–voltage (V) characteristics irrespective of the voltage polarity. The leakage current at low electric fields (<0.25 MV/cm) is dominated by temperature-enhanced trap assisted tunneling process, which is caused by the interface oxygen vacancy induced states. Further analysis suggests that, at high fields (>1.2 MV/cm), the leakage is ascribed to the bulk-limited field enhanced thermal ionization of trapped carriers in the SNO film (i.e., Poole–Frenkel emission). Specially, the oxygen vacancy redistribution near the SNO/NSTO heterointerface driven by a high temperature (425 K) or high electrical field (>3.8 MV/cm) stress is emphasized to account for the transition from the Schottky contact limited to bulk-limited conduction mechanism (i.e., space charge limited conduction). This work will benefit the further analysis of the resistive switching phenomena in nickelate-based devices, showing a potential for nonvolatile memory applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bulk photovoltaic effect observed in ferroelectric materials can enable photovoltaic performance beyond the Shockley–Queisser limit of efficiency. This requires the use of ferroelectrics with strong polarization and low bandgap (Eg) that are typically contradictory in the common perovskite oxides ferroelectrics. Here, we use first-principles calculations to study the KNbO3–K(Ti0.5Mo0.5)O3 (KNTM) solid solutions as possible narrow-gap ferroelectric materials. KTM, the end-member of the recently discovered KNTM solid solution system, maintains a ferroelectric polarization similar to that of other K-based systems due to its d0 configuration at the B-site. The substitution of Nb in KTM reduces Eg from 2.9 of KTM to 1.83 eV for an unstrained system and 1.7 eV for a compressively strained system, while maintaining ferroelectricity. The combination of narrow Eg, strong ferroelectricity, low toxicity, and abundance of the constituent elements make Nb-substituted KTM a promising candidate material for photoferroelectric applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Frustrated rare-earth pyrochlore titanates, Yb 2 Ti 2 O 7 and Tb 2 Ti 2 O 7 , have been proposed as promising candidates to realize quantum spin ice (QSI). Multiple exotic quantum phases, including Coulombic ferromagnet, quantum valence bond solid, and quadrupolar ordering, have been predicted to emerge in the QSI state upon the application of a (111)-oriented external magnetic field. Here, we report on the successful layer-by-layer growth of thin films of the frustrated quantum pyrochlores, R 2 Ti 2 O 7 (R = Er , Yb, and Tb), along the (111) direction. We confirm their high crystallinity and proper chemical composition by a combination of methods, including in situ RHEED, x-ray diffraction, reciprocal space mapping, and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The availability of large area (111)-oriented QSI structures with planar geometry offers a new complementary to the bulk platform to explore the strain and the magnetic field-dependent properties in the quasi-2D limit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, domain switching induced by applied stress and thermal treatment was compared in (Na0.5Bi0.5)TiO3−xBaTiO3 (NBT-BT) solid solutions and the monolithic components by Raman spectroscopy. Despite possessing a Ti-O6 structure, the titanate materials exhibit quite different patterns of switching upon indentation generation, which might be associated with the presence of distinct stable polarizations. Significant stress induced a→c domain switching occurs around the indentation print and along the cracks for stress relaxation during crack propagation in the case of BT, while for NBT and related solution, remnant domains exist and a switching of the domains to other polarization, e.g., <110> may occur, showing a dependence on the BT addition content. Thermal treatments at temperatures above the Curie point were found to show different influences on domain patterns due to distinct changes in the microstructure in the presence of residual stress fields, suggesting the possibility of a combinatory effect of thermal treatment and residual stress for domain controls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electrocaloric response of bulk monodomain BaZrxTi(1−x)O3 (BZT) under modest electrical fields at room temperature has been evaluated using a Landau theory thermodynamic model as a function of the zirconium content x. The computations show that increasing x changes the nature of the ferroelectric phase transitions of BZT. There are potentially three ferroelectric phases in BZT for zirconium contents 0 < x < 0.30. For 0 < x < 0.15, the cubic paraelectric phase transitions successively into the tetragonal, orthorhombic, and rhombohedral phases with decreasing temperature. For x > 0.15, the rhombohedral phase becomes the sole ferroelectric phase upon cooling from the cubic paraelectric state. The magnitude of the polarization discontinuity at the phase transition decreases with increasing x as it approaches a continuous, second order transition. We show here that these phase changes have a significant effect on electrocaloric and pyroelectric properties of BZT. The room temperature adiabatic temperature change was calculated for compositions of BZT with 0 < x < 0.30, revealing a maximum temperature change of ΔTad = 1.25 °C for an electric field difference of 100 kV/cm for x = 0.20 near room temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present here a comprehensive analysis of the effect of thermal stresses on the functional properties of ferroelectric oxides on metal substrates. We use a Landau-Devonshire formalism to quantitatively assess the role of in-plane thermal strains that arise from the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) mismatch between lead zirconate titanate [PbZrxTi1–xO3, PZT x/(1 – x)] films and Al, Cu, Fe, Ni, and Ti-based substrates. Specifically, we compute Curie transition temperatures, spontaneous polarizations, dielectric permittivities, piezoelectric coefficients, and pyroelectric responses of tetragonal PZT compositions as a function of the growth/processing temperature. To provide a rapid evaluation, we also develop Ashby diagrams of property coefficients as a function of PZT composition, processing temperature, and CTE of the substrate. Our results show that thermal strains in PZT may significantly alter the ferroelectric transition temperature, dielectric, piezoelectric, and pyroelectric properties. For example, for PZT 50/50 films on Ni-based superalloys processed/annealed at 700 °C, we predict monodomain intrinsic dielectric, piezoelectric, and pyroelectric responses to be 234, 152 pC/N, and 0.021 μC cm−2 °C−1, respectively, compared to bulk PZT 50/50 values of 381, 326 pC/N, and 0.045 μC cm−2 °C−1. These are substantial variations which show that thermal strains must be considered in the design and development of built-in functionality obtained through ferroelectric films in structural, aerospace components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of donor (L a 3 +) and acceptor (S c 3 +) dopant on structural and electrical properties of lead-free B i 0.5 N a 0.5 Ti O 3 (BNT) ceramics system was investigated. Both donor and acceptor substitutions induced a structural transformation of pure BNT ceramics from a rhombohedral to a pseudocubic structure. Splitting of the (111) p c peak in pure BNT was considered symmetry identification for a rhombohedral structure. A micrometer level grain size (1.70 μm–2.81 μm), dense microstructure with good ferroelectric and piezoelectric performance (d 33 = 56 − 45 pC / N) was obtained. The 3% La content BNT ceramic shows an improved dielectric property. The Curie temperature increases from 355 °C for pure BNT to 365 °C for donor-doped and 370 °C for acceptor-doped BNT. The donor doping created cationic vacancies; acceptor doping induces oxygen vacancies that stabilized the polarization level. Maximum remnant polarization (P r) value has been obtained for 3% La-doped (P r = 27 μ C / c m 2) and 5% Sc-doped (P r = 20 μ C / c m 2) BNT system. Bipolar strain increased with the increase in donor dopant concentration resulting in a large electrostrictive coefficient (Q11 ∼ 0.0122%–0.045%) has been obtained. Electric field-induced unipolar strain value was enhanced to its maximum value (Smax = 0.14%) for 3% La content with normalized strain d 33 ∗ = 209 pm / V and Smax = 0.13% for 5% Sc with normalized strain d 33 ∗ = 155 pm / V at an applied electric field of 70 kV/cm and 50 kV/cm, respectively. The enhanced strain was considered to be associated with low internal bias field and maximum polarization level. In terms of capacitive response, 5% Sc holds a maximum current (∼0.017 mA) during polarization switching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on the structural, magnetic, optical, and electrical properties of iron titanate thin films prepared using a spin-coating technique having nominal compositions of FeTiO3 and Fe1.4Ti0.6O3. X-ray diffraction measurements show clear evidence for the presence of both ilmenite and pseudobrookite crystal structures, which is confirmed using Raman spectroscopy. X-ray photoemission spectroscopy studies indicate that Fe is present mainly in the 2+ valence state, with some Fe3+ present on the more heavily oxidized surface of the films. The as-prepared samples exhibit weak ferromagnetism at room temperature. While the valence state of Fe is not significantly affected by vacuum annealing, the saturation magnetization is increased dramatically, reaching nearly 220 emu mole−1 for the Fe-rich film. The optical band gap was found to be roughly 2.0 eV for all samples, with negligible changes on vacuum annealing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Temperature dependent diffuse reflectance spectroscopy measurements were carried out on polycrystalline samples of BaTiO3 across the tetragonal to cubic structural phase transition temperature (TP). The values of various optical parameters such as band gap (Eg), Urbach energy (Eu), and Urbach focus (E0) were estimated in the temperature range of 300 K to 480 K. It was observed that with increasing temperature, Eg decreases and shows a sharp anomaly at TP. First principle studies were employed in order to understand the observed change in Eg due to the structural phase transition. Near TP, there exist two values of E0, suggesting the presence of electronic heterogeneity. Further, near TP, Eu shows metastability, i.e., the value of Eu at temperature T is not constant but is a function of time (t). Interestingly, it is observed that the ratio of Eu (t=0)/Eu (t = tm), almost remains constant at 300 K (pure tetragonal phase) and at 450 K (pure cubic phase), whereas this ratio decreases close to the transition temperature, which confirms the presence of electronic metastability in the pure BaTiO3. The time dependence of Eu, which also shows an influence of the observed metastability can be fitted with the stretched exponential function, suggesting the presence of a dynamic heterogeneous electronic disorder in the sample across TP. First principle studies suggest that the observed phase coexistence may be due to a very small difference between the total cohesive energy of the tetragonal and the cubic structure of BaTiO3. The present work implies that the optical studies may be a sensitive probe of disorder/heterogeneity in the sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dynamic hysteresis and scaling behavior of unpoled 0.96(Bi0.5Na0.5)TiO3-0.04BiAlO3 lead-free relaxor ceramics were investigated through the evolution of the hysteresis loops at a wide frequency (f) and electric-field amplitude (Eo) range. The variation of the hysteresis area (A) and remanent polarization Pr clearly suggested three stages of polarization reversal with increasing external electric fields. It was found that the dynamic hysteresis area in the low-Eo and high-Eo regions followed the power law relationships: (A) α f –0:14Eo3:30 (Eo ≤ 5.0 kV/mm) and (A) α f 0:064Eo–0:6Eo1:65 (Eo ≥ 6.2 kV/mm), respectively. Those power-law functions did not fit in the second stage (5.0 kV/mm < Eo < 6.2 kV/mm), where different numbers of polar nanoregions or nanodomains can be activated and transformed into macrodomains. The polarization mechanisms of above mentioned three stages were ascribed to the domain wall motion, then the formation of microdomains within the disordered nanodomains or polar nanoregions, followed by the induced macrodomains aligning parallel to the applied electric field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The accurate evaluation of ferroelectric thin films operated with interdigitated electrodes is quite a complex task. In this article, we show how to correct the electric field and the capacitance in order to obtain identical polarization and CV loops for all geometrical variants. The simplest model is compared with corrections derived from Schwartz-Christoffel transformations, and with finite element simulations. The correction procedure is experimentally verified, giving almost identical curves for a variety of gaps and electrode widths. It is shown that the measured polarization change corresponds to the average polarization change in the center plane between the electrode fingers, thus at the position where the electric field is most homogeneous with respect to the direction and size. The question of maximal achievable polarization in the various possible textures, and compositional types of polycrystalline lead zirconate titanate thin films is revisited. In the best case, a soft (110) textured thin film with the morphotropic phase boundary composition should yield a value of 0.95Ps, and in the worst case, a rhombohedral (100) textured thin film should deliver a polarization of 0.74Ps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Publisher's Note: "Unveiling the strain and structural ferroelectric phase transition induced by temperature in lead titanate perovskite modified with 40% of calcium" [J. Appl. Phys. Equation (3) is correct as it appears below: HT ht (3) AIP Publishing apologizes for this error. This article was originally published online on 22 December 2022 with an error in Eq. (3). [Extracted from the article]

A direct quantification of a structural in-depth composition in the lead zirconate titanate Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 thin films of morphotropic composition has been conducted using the newly available X-ray nano-pencil beam (i.e., beam size of 100 nm ×1 μm) diffraction approach. We tested two samples with different Zr/Ti chemical gradients. Here, we demonstrate the presence of a significant microstructural gradient between the rhombohedral and tetragonal phases through PbZrxTi1-xO3 (PZT) films with a 100 nm in-depth resolution. The phase gradient extends over around 350 nm, and it is repeated through the PZT film three times, which corresponds to the number of thermal annealings. Moreover, this microstructural gradient is in agreement with the Zr/Ti chemical gradient observed by the secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS). Indeed, the quantity of tetragonal phases rises in the Ti-rich zones as revealed by SIMS, and the quantity of rhombohedral phases rises in the Zr-rich zones. We also demonstrated a huge difference in the in-depth phase variation between the two tested samples. The gradient free sample still contains 4.7% of phase variation through the film and the amplified gradient contains 9.6% of phase variation through the film. Knowing that the gradient free sample shows better electric and piezoelectric coefficients, one can draw a correlation between the chemical composition, crystallographic homogeneity, and electromechanical properties of the film. The more close the film is to the morphotropic composition and the more it is crystallographically homogeneous, the higher the piezoelectric coefficients of the PZT are. Finally, the adequate knowledge of phase variation and its relation to the fabrication technique are crucial for the enhancement of the PZT electro-mechanical properties. Our methodology and findings open up new perspectives in establishing a relevant quantitative feedback to reach an ultimate electro-mechanical coupling in the sol-gel PZT thin films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various numbers of electric field or compressive stress pulses with increasing magnitude are applied to a poled lead titanate zirconate rectangular parallelepiped specimen. Changes in linear material properties are estimated from measured responses and plotted versus remnant polarization. The dependence of linear material properties on remnant polarization is shown to be the same independent of the overall rate of domain switching by electric field or stress at room and high temperatures. The evolution path of remnant polarization and strains in the plane of remnant state variables is also found to be equal independent of switching rate at room and high temperatures. Finally, when the values of remnant state variables at high temperature are transformed to those of reference remnant state variables, the evolution path of the reference remnant state variables is compared to be coincident with that of remnant state variables at room temperature, implying the same switching process at different temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the third-order nonlinear optical properties of CaCu3Ti4O12 films with different preferred growth orientations on MgO and fused silica substrates. The films have (310)- and (220)-orientation on MgO and fused silica, respectively, due to the lattice-mismatch. Raman spectra further indicate different atom-bonding states in the films. The nonlinear optical measurements show the films possess the same self-defocusing behavior but with different values of nonlinear refraction, and changed signs of nonlinear absorption. The difference of optical nonlinearity in CaCu3Ti4O12 films is ascribed to different lattice parameters and intermediate levels induced by structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SrTiO3 (STO) is attracting lots of research interests due to the rich physics and properties presented at its surfaces and the interfaces of STO with other transition metal oxides. Based on density functional theory methods, we have investigated the influence of hydrogen (H) atoms adsorption at the (001) surface of STO on the geometrical and electronic structures of the surface. We find that H adsorption induces significant antiferrodistortive (AFD) distortion of TiO6 octahedra at the surface. By calculating H adsorption energy, we show that AFD distortion makes a significant contribution to the stability of H adsorbed STO surfaces. The calculated energy position of O-H bond states by hybrid functional method is 9.9 eV below Fermi level, in agreement with experimental value of 10 eV. The electrons donated by H atoms first occupy several dxy bands and then start to fill in degenerate dyz/dxz bands, indicating the metallization of initially insulating STO. The band splitting and occupy sequence calculated here are consistent with recent angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy experiments. Our results reveal that H adsorption changes the atomic and electronic structures and thus induce fascinating properties at the surface of STO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perovskite oxides and their heterostructures have demonstrated considerable potential for devices that require high carrier densities. These oxides are typically grown on ceramic substrates that suffer from low thermal conductivity, which limits performance under high currents, and from the limited size of substrates, which precludes large scale integration and processing. We address both of these hurdles by integrating oxide heterostructures with high carrier density 2D electron gases (2DEGs) directly on (001) Si. 2DEGs grown on Si show significant improvement of the high current performance over those grown on oxide substrates, a consequence of the higher thermal conductivity of the substrate. Hall analysis, transmission line measurements, and the conductance technique are employed for a detailed analysis of the carrier density, contact resistance, mobility, and electron drift velocities. Current densities of 10 A/cm are observed at room temperature with 2.9 × 1014 electrons/cm2 at a drift velocity exceeding 3.5 × 105 cm/s. These results highlight the promise of oxide 2DEGs integration on Si as channels for high electron density devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SrTiO3 (STO) is attracting lots of research interests due to the rich physics and properties presented at its surfaces and the interfaces of STO with other transition metal oxides. Based on density functional theory methods, we have investigated the influence of hydrogen (H) atoms adsorption at the (001) surface of STO on the geometrical and electronic structures of the surface. We find that H adsorption induces significant antiferrodistortive (AFD) distortion of TiO6 octahedra at the surface. By calculating H adsorption energy, we show that AFD distortion makes a significant contribution to the stability of H adsorbed STO surfaces. The calculated energy position of O-H bond states by hybrid functional method is 9.9 eV below Fermi level, in agreement with experimental value of 10 eV. The electrons donated by H atoms first occupy several dxy bands and then start to fill in degenerate dyz/dxz bands, indicating the metallization of initially insulating STO. The band splitting and occupy sequence calculated here are consistent with recent angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy experiments. Our results reveal that H adsorption changes the atomic and electronic structures and thus induce fascinating properties at the surface of STO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To prevent functional failure, the macroscopic shock response of ceramics needs to be understood. We explored the mesoscopic deformation features of porous ceramics, which are responsible for the measured macroscopic "plastic" wave profiles, using polycrystalline modeling and experiments. A polycrystalline model is established that considers the influence of two major microstructures (multi-voids and grain boundaries) in the porous ceramics. Shock experiments with the recovery of shocked porous lead zirconate titanate ceramics were conducted. The computational results show that shear cracks nucleate around voids under shock because of severe shear stress concentrations. Broken fragments fill the voids and lead to void collapse. Representative long-distance extended cracks and thick crevices are observed in the recovered sample subjected to 3.3 GPa compression. These representative features are reproduced by the poly-crystalline model. An initial transgranular crack translates into an intergranular crack after a certain propagation range to form a long-distance extended crack. Intergranular cracks branch from the main transgranular crack during main crack propagation to form a thick crevice. The simultaneous propagation of main and branching cracks results in a more effective shock energy dissipation. Slippage and rotation deformation induced by multi-cracks allows the shocked porous ceramic to deform even after all the voids have collapsed. Mesoscopic deformations of porous ceramics induce significant stress relaxations and lead to macroscopic "plastic" wave profiles. The polycrystalline model will aid microstructures design and provide guidance for preventing the shock failure of functional ceramics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ferroelectric/ferroelastic domain reorientation was measured in a 1.9 μm thick tetragonal {001} oriented PbZr0.3Ti0.7O3 thin film doped with 1% Mn under different mechanical boundary constraints. Domain reorientation was quantified through the intensity changes in the 002/200 Bragg reflections as a function of applied electric field. To alter the degree of clamping, films were undercut from the underlying substrate by 0%, ∼25%, ∼50%, or ∼75% of the electrode area. As the amount of declamping from the substrate increased from 0% to ∼75%, the degree of ferroelectric/ferroelastic domain reorientation in the films increased more than six fold at three times the coercive field. In a film that was ∼75% released from the substrate, approximately 26% of 90° domains were reoriented under the maximum applied field; this value for domain reorientation compares favorably to bulk ceramics of similar compositions. An estimate for the upper limit of 90° domain reorientation in a fully released film under these conditions was determined to be 32%. It was also found that the different clamping conditions strongly influence the amount of reorientation upon removing the applied field, with higher remanence of preferred domain orientations observed in declamped films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polarization switching is simulated using a model based on a sequence of single dipole flips. The single dipole flips are assumed to be thermally activated with transition rates depending on the local field. The time to switch a single dipole depends on the deterministic transition rate and on a probabilistic factor. In each step, the dipole with the shortest flip time is switched. We investigate one dimensional dipole chains as well as two and three dimensional systems based on the barium titanate structure that comprises single charges fluctuating in double well potentials and induced dipoles. The two and three dimensional simulations yield intrinsic dead layers close to the electrodes that can not be switched even in very strong fields. These non switchable layers are nuclei for the domain wall motion and thus nuclei for the switching process. The switching time of the system decreases faster than exponential for low fields with increasing field. This decrease slows down for higher fields. Furthermore, we found intrinsic dead layers around a defect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemical modification is proven to be an effective way to improve the properties of perovskite BiFeO3 (BFO). In this paper, we studied the effects of the A-site Dy3+ ion substitution on the structure and multiferroic properties of BFO in which the Fe3+ ion on the B-site is partially co-substituted for by Mg2+ and Ti4+ ions. The solid solution compounds of Bi(1-x)DyxFe0.90Mg0.05Ti0.05O3 (x = 0 - 1) were synthesized by a tartaric acid-assisted solution process, followed by thermal treatments at 850 °C. The structural transition and the ferroelectric and magnetic properties as a function of composition were investigated. It is found that the structure transforms from a rhombohedral (R3c) to an orthorhombic phase (Pn21a) when x is increased to ≥ 0.15. The ferroelectric measurements indicate that the sample with x = 0.15 possesses the best ferroelectric property, and the remnant polarization of the samples with orthorhombic symmetry decreases with the increase of Dy3+ concentration. The compounds of Bi(1-x)DyxFe0.90Mg0.05Ti0.05O3 (x = 0.05 - 1.00) exhibit weakly ferromagnetic properties at low temperatures, but antiferromagnetic behavior at high temperatures. The magnetization of the solid solution increases linearly with the increase of the Dy3+ amount. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SONAR transducers based on single crystal lead magnesium niobate-lead titanate (PMNT) have demonstrated improvements over conventional lead zirconate titanate ceramics. Compositional modifications to PMNT have combined the high piezoelectric coefficient (d33 > 2000 pC/N) and electromechanical coupling factor (k33 > 0.90) with the low mechanical losses (QM > 1000) of 'hard' piezoelectric ceramics. The dielectric losses of single crystal PMNT have not been investigated as extensively as the mechanical losses but may significantly affect the performance of a device when water loaded. In this work, nonlinearities in the dielectric permittivity and losses have been investigated as a function of applied electric field, measurement frequency, and temperature. It is shown that electromechanically 'hard' single crystals offer greater stability of the dielectric properties while maintaining a high permittivity with respect to conventional lead zirconate titanate ceramics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transmission of light through a lead lanthanum zirconate titanate ceramic film, having a relaxor ferroelectric composition of (9.5/65/35), exhibited a Fabry-Pérot interference pattern. Upon the application of an electric field, the transmitted irradiance was modulated at both the first and second harmonic frequencies to that of the applied field. Large changes were observed in the optical path difference within the material due to a combination of the electrostrictive and quadratic electro-optic effects. A theoretical model was developed to obtain harmonic expressions for the Fabry-Pérot transmitted irradiance, and it was successfully fitted to the experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optical amplification was observed in electro-optic (EO) ceramic plates of neodymium doped lanthanum-modified lead zirconate titanate (Nd3+:PLZT), when the pumping and seeding beams are not overlapped temporarily. This striking feature in the gain measurement and the accompanying slowly trailing-off both seen in the optical amplification as well as in the lasing action are satisfactorily explained by electron releasing from the rich vacancy-based carrier traps in the intrinsically disordered ceramics, i.e., the consecutively optical, thermal stimuli are found responsible for the long persistent optoenergy storage, and consequently the slow response of the gain dynamics. These findings in optical amplification, the slowly trailing-off, and the underlying mechanism have opened a new way of developing novel controllable optical devices. The model thus established could serve as a guide in design and refinement of a new generation of products out of this excellent, well commercialized EO PLZT ceramics family and similar others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electron emission from thin ferroelectric Pb(Zr0.4 Ti0.6)O3 films is demonstrated reaching emission current densities of up to 3×10-8 A cm-2 for pulsed excitation voltages of 60 V. Nevertheless, the emission process sets in at voltages as low as 10 V. Thin lead zirconate titanate (PZT) films were prepared with a structured top electrode, which exhibits nanometer-sized regularly arranged apertures. The emission current was measured under UHV conditions by both a single electron detector for small emission currents and an amperemeter for larger currents. The voltage dependent polarization state within the emission apertures was imaged using piezoresponse force microscopy and revealed that an increased fraction of the free surface area is switched by an increased applied voltage. This shows that the emission process is strongly correlated to the switching of ferroelectric polarization. Moreover, with the help of a metal grid in front of the detector, the maximum kinetic energy of emitted electrons was investigated and found to be limited by the excitation voltage, only. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the electro-optic properties and high-frequency relative dielectric constants of epitaxially grown lanthanum-modified lead zirconate titanate (PLZT) and polycrystalline barium titanate (BaTiO3) films in a high-frequency range of up to 40 GHz for designing a high-speed ferroelectric thin-film modulator. We also demonstrate a ferroelectric thin-film Mach-Zehnder-type waveguide modulator using the epitaxially grown PLZT film. The use of a composite structure with a low dielectric coefficient substrate and a buffer layer enabled of a ferroelectric thin-film waveguide modulator with 40-Gb/s operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe applications of a cantilever with a lead zirconate titanate (PZT) piezoelectric film as self-sensing to dynamic force microscopy (DFM) combined with Kelvin probe force microscopy (KFM). We adopted a frequency modulation (FM) detection method not only to stabilize the imaging conditions in our DFM but also to enhance the sensitivity for the detection of electrostatic forces in KFM measurement. We deposited Alq3 [tris (8-hydroxyquinolinato) aluminum] thin films and aluminum (Al) electrode patterns on an indium tin oxide (ITO)/glass substrate by vacuum evaporation using shadow masks. The surface structures and local surface potential of Alq3 films on metals were investigated using our DFM/KFM instrument to study the local electrical properties at the molecule-metal interface. The photosensitive organic material sample can be in a completely dark environment because no optics are required for cantilever deflection sensing in our experimental setup. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen has a significant impact on the structural and electronic properties of metals, insulators, and semiconductors. Despite the prevalence of hydrogen, little is known about its behavior in oxides such as strontium titanate (SrTiO3). In this work, hydrogen-related defects in SrTiO3 were investigated using infrared absorption spectroscopy. Two local vibrational modes (LVMs) are observed at 3355 and 3384 cm-1 after hydrogenation at 800 °C. Isotope substitution experiments revealed that the defect consists of two hydrogen atoms bound to host oxygen atoms. From the temperature dependence of the LVMs, we ascribe the complex to a strontium vacancy passivated by two hydrogen atoms. The thermal stability of the defect was determined through a series of isochronal annealing experiments on the hydrogenated SrTiO3 sample. These measurements provided evidence of 'hidden hydrogen,' possibly H2 molecules, in the crystal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is an urgent demand for high performance Pb-free piezoelectrics to substitute for the current workhorse, the lead zirconate titanate (PZT) family. Recently, a triple point (also tricritical point) type morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) in Pb-free Ba(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O3-x(Ba0.7Ca0.3)TiO3 system has been reported that shows equally as excellent piezoelectricity as soft PZT at room temperature (Liu and Ren6). In the present study, we measured a full set of elastic, piezoelectric, and dielectric properties for the MPB composition, Ba(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O3-50(Ba0.7Ca0.3)TiO3 (BZT-50BCT), by using a resonance method. The resonant method gives piezoelectric properties d33 = 546 pC/N, g33 = 15.3 × 10-3 Vm/N, electromechanical coupling factor k33 = 65%, and the elastic constant s33E = 19.7 × 10-12 m2/N, c33E = 11.3 × 1010 N/m2, which are close to the properties of soft PZT (PZT-5A). Furthermore, the piezoelectric coefficients (k33, d33), the ferroelectric properties (coercive field, remnant polarization), and the elastic constants (s33D, s33E, c33D, c33E) were also determined as a function of temperature ranging from -50 to 60°C. Our results show that the properties are optimal around MPB temperature (room temperature) and decrease with deviations from the MPB temperature. Nevertheless, the piezoelectric coefficient d33 can maintain an appreciable level of 93 pC/N even at -50°C. The high piezoelectric properties can be ascribed to the low polarization anisotropy as well as the elastic softening at MPB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A stress-biased magnetoelectric sensor with a built-in permanent magnet has been fabricated using piezoelectric lead magnesium niobate-lead titanate single crystal and magnetostrictive Terfenol-D alloy. The resonance characteristics and magnetoelectric performance of the sensor have been evaluated under different stress-biased conditions. The resonance of the sensor shifts to higher frequency with increasing preloading stress. Due to the piezoelectric and magnetostrictive enhancements under preload, the device exhibits a giant magnetoelectric voltage coefficient of 0.22 V/Oe at a preloading stress of 2.5 MPa. This compact device has the potential to be used as a standalone sensor without requiring external power input. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work we demonstrate by transmission electron microscopy and piezoresponse force spectroscopy that the polarization direction in hydrothermally synthesized lead titanate (PbTiO3) nanorods can be changed from parallel to the nanorod axis to perpendicular to it by a simple heat treatment above the Curie temperature. The heat treatment also introduced 90° domains, caused a rearrangement of the surface and a reduction in the amounts of defects. The polarization of the heat-treated nanorods could be successively switched in the direction perpendicular to the nanorod axis. This control of the polarization in PbTiO3 nanorods opens up possibilities of tailoring the ferroelectric properties and is therefore highly relevant for the use of ferroelectric nanorods in devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lead zirconate titanate (PZT) ceramics with one dimensional ordered pore structure (1-3 type porous PZT ceramics) were fabricated in this study. The special structure not only enhanced the piezoelectric and dielectric properties effectively but also further decreased the acoustic impedance. All samples exhibited excellent piezoelectric properties despite high porosities. The d33 value was 608 pC /N (remained 88% that of dense PZT) when the porosity was up to 68.7%. The d33 value was 690 pC /N (same as dense PZT) when the porosity was 41.7%. The lowest acoustic impedance (Z) reached 1.3 MRayls. These results are promising for improving performance in hydrophones applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lead zirconate titanate (PbZr0.52Ti0.48O3-PZT) thin films with different thicknesses were deposited on Pt(111)/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates by a sol-gel method. Single perovskite phase with (111)-texture was obtained in the thinnest films, whereas with the increase in thickness the films changed to a highly (100)-oriented state. An increase in the mean grain size as the film thickness increased was also observed. Dielectric, ferroelectric, and piezoelectric properties were analyzed as a function of the film thickness and explained based on film orientation, grain size, domain structure, domain wall motion, and nonswitching interface layers. Both serial and parallel capacitor models were used to analyze the influence of the nonswitching interface layer in the dielectric properties and the effect of substrate clamping in the microscopic piezoelectric response as the film thickness decreased. The scanning force microscopy technique was used to study the effect of thickness on the microscopic piezoresponse. Significant differences between the macroscopic and microscopic electrical properties of the films were observed. Those differences can be assigned to changes in the nonswitching film-electrode layer and domain structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pb(ZrxTi1-x)O3 [x=0.52, PZT(52) near morphotropic phase boundary], tetragonal PZT(65), and rhombohedral PZT(20) thin films have been fabricated on different transparent substrates by radio frequency sputtering. The optical studies show that the band gap energies and refractive indices of the PZT thin films are crystal phase dependent. The largest electro-optic (EO) coefficient of 219.6 pm/V has been achieved by controlling the crystal phase of the PZT thin films. The linear EO coefficients of PZT(52) films on the (Pb0.86La0.14)TiO3-coated glass, indium tin oxides, and MgO substrates are also studied. Such study could contribute to the crystal phase and substrate dependent PZT films for electro-optic devices and multifunctional integrated circuits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, 0.94Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3-0.06BaTiO3 (BNBT6) lead-free piezoelectric ceramics have been prepared using the gelcasting technology. The dielectric and piezoelectric properties of these ceramics have been investigated. The specimens were sintered at 1100-1200 °C after grain-oriented under the pulsed strong magnetic field during the solidification of the green bodies. Compared with the BNBT6 samples without applying magnetic field, the ceramics textured by applying 5 T pulsed magnetic field has a coercive field with reduction of 400 V/mm, which makes the polarization process easier. Meanwhile, it is noted that the orientation degree increases with increasing sintering temperature, whereas the piezoelectric constant and electromechanical coupling coefficients are improved. If SrTiO3 seed grain is introduced, the orientation degree can reach 0.70 and the relative density of the sintered ceramics is up to 96%. The dielectric properties are anisotropic in directions vertical and parallel to the applied magnetic field. At around 180 °C, the dielectric constant in the direction vertical to the magnetic field is three times of that in the direction parallel to the magnetic field. And the dielectric loss in the direction vertical to the magnetic field is also higher than that in the direction parallel to the magnetic field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Barium titanate (BT) and montmorillonite (MMT) nanoparticles were covalently-bonded by organically modifying the particle surfaces and chemically reacting them in solution. These integrated two-material hybrid inorganic nanofillers were subsequently dispersed in epoxy resin and nanocomposites were obtained at several weight fractions. The inorganic component consisted of well dispersed BT spherical nanoparticles that are surrounded by attached layered MMT nanoplatelets, with the latter having the ability to react with the epoxy matrix. The thermodynamic properties of the glass transition process, the macroscopic mechanical properties of the nanocomposites, and the dynamics of the polymer segments at the inorganic interfaces, all indicate that this filler configuration enhances the polymer-ceramic interfaces. Polarization as a function of electric field and dielectric breakdown show improvements in the electrical properties of these composites, compared to the corresponding unfilled epoxy, despite the expected reduction in crosslinking density. The resulting nanocomposites have a property set which can be utilized in energy storage and power system applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polymer nanocomposites prepared by epoxy reinforced with high permittivity barium titanate (BT) fillers or high aspect ratio montmorillonite (MMT) fillers exhibited marked changes in their high electric field properties and their relaxation dynamics, depending on the nanoparticle type and concentration, the nanoparticle size, and the epoxy matrix conversion. We investigated epoxy resin composites based on organically modified montmorillonite (oMMT) or BT (BaTiO3) nanoparticles in order to delineate the effects of the high aspect ratio of the MMT and the high permittivity of the BT particles. We also explored the potential benefits of the synergy between the two fillers in systems consisting of epoxy and both oMMT and BT particles. It was observed that the nature of the organic-inorganic interfaces dominate the glass transition temperature and the dielectric properties of these composites. Specifically, using dielectric relaxation spectroscopy, we probed the local dynamics of the polymer at the interfaces. The MMT systems had approximately three orders of magnitude slower interfacial dynamics than those at the BT interfaces, indicating more robust interfaces in the MMT composites than in the BT-based composites; the corresponding energy barriers (activation energies) associated with these motions were also doubled for the MMT systems. Furthermore, we investigated the effect of the decreased glass transition, interfacial area, polymer-phase at the organic-inorganic interface, and of the dielectric breakdown on the electrical energy storage capabilities of these composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have investigated the individual switching of nanoscale capacitors by piezoresponse force microscopy. Nanoscale epitaxial ferroelectric capacitors with terabyte per inch square equivalent density were fabricated by the deposition of top electrodes onto a pulsed laser deposited lead zirconate titanate thin film by electron beam evaporation through ultrathin anodic aluminum oxide membrane stencil masks. Using bias pulses, the nanoscale capacitors were uniformly switched and proved to be individually addressable. These film-based nanoscale capacitors might be a feasible alternative for high-density mass storage memory applications with near terabyte per inch square density due to the absence of any cross-talk effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A phase diagram for morphotropic (Pb0.985La0.01)(Zr1-xTix)O3 is proposed based on a combination of X-ray and neutron powder diffraction experiments and complemented by transmission electron microscopy. Dependent on composition three regions are characterized. The stability range of tetragonal microdomains for high Ti contents, the stability range of rhombohedral microdomains for low Ti contents, and an intermediate stability range of nanodomains. All three regions exhibit a corresponding low temperature configuration. Temperature dependent diffraction revealed that lanthanum doping reduces the sensitivity of the structure to changes in temperature and composition. A continuous transition from pseudorhombohedral to tetragonal symmetry with an intermediate two-phase region at the morphotropic phase boundary is observed. A similar transition of low temperature superstructure phases from pseudorhombohedral to pseudotetragonal with an intermediate monoclinic phase governed by a continuous change in the oxygen octahedral tilt system from a-a-a- over a-a-c- to a0a0c- is identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From comparison of experimental results on polarization switching in fresh and electrically fatigued lead-zirconate-titanate (PZT) over a wide range of applied fields and switching times it is concluded that fatigue alters the local field distribution inside the sample due to the generation of discrete defects, such as voids and cracks. Such defects have a strong influence on the overall electric field distribution by their shape and dielectric permittivity. On this hypothesis, a new phenomenological model of polarization switching in fatigued PZT is proposed. The model assumes that the fatigued sample can be composed of different local regions which exhibit different field strengths but otherwise can be considered as unfatigued. Consequently the temporal response of a fatigued sample is assumed to be the superposition of the field-dependent temporal responses of unfatigued samples weighted by their respective volume fraction. A certain part of the volume is excluded from the overall switching process due to the domain pinning even at earlier stages of fatigue, which can be recovered by annealing. Suitability of the proposed model is demonstrated by a good correlation between experimental and calculated data for differently fatigued samples. Plausible cause of the formation of such regions is the generation of defects such as microcracks and the change in electrical properties at imperfections such as pores or voids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dynamics of polarization switching in a soft lead-zirconate-titanate ceramic has been studied over a broad time window ranging from 10-6–106 for applied fields between 0.5 and 2.5 kV/mm. The classical Kolmogorov–Avrami–Ishibashi model of the polarization reversal was not able to satisfactory explain the obtained results. Therefore, a new concept for the polarization dynamics of ferroelectric ceramics has been suggested, which is based on two principal assumptions, (1) a strong dependence of the polarization switching time on the local electric field and (2) a random distribution of the local switching times caused by an intrinsic randomness in the field distribution within the system. Thereby the switching volume is composed as an ensemble of many regions with independent dynamics governed by local field exclusively. Such random field distribution could be well adjusted by a Gaussian distribution around the mean value of the field applied. A total polarization dependence on time and applied field was obtained in explicit form with only three fitting parameters which enabled a good description of the experimental results on polarization reversal in the whole time-field domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]