Dielectric and ferroelectric properties of lanthanum‐modified lead zirconate stannate titanate (42/40/18) ceramics.

Abstract: The effect of lanthanum (La) content on the phase transformation of Pb1−3x/2Lax(Zr0.42Sn0.40Ti0.18)O3 (PLZST 100x/42/40/18, 0 ≤ x ≤ 0.06) ceramics was investigated by the dielectric and ferroelectric properties. The base composition PLZST 0/42/40/18 located in the ferroelectric (FE) rhombohedral phase region. As x increased, the compositions showed successively FE and antiferroelectric (AFE) state at room temperature, and their peak temperatures (Tmax) decreased gradually in line as Tmax = 162.21‐1507x. Evidence was presented that there were two dielectric anomalies in PLZST 2/42/40/18, which were corresponding to the FE‐AFE and AFE‐paraelectric (PE) phase transformations, respectively. With increasing the dc bias fields, the two phases merged into one. PLZST 3/42/40/18 showed AFE characteristics with the first loop outside of the second loop and there was only one dielectric inflection. The critical lanthanum content occurred at x = 0.03 from the dielectric temperature spectra and hysteresis loops. Furthermore increase in La above 0.03, these compositions showed typical antiferroelectric behaviors with double hysteresis loops. The stored energy properties of the three compositions (PLZST 4/42/40/18, 5/42/40/18 and 6/42/40/18) displayed different temperature dependencies from room temperature to 140°C (over their respective Tmax). Comparing the above results with previous investigations on PLZSTs, some questions were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]