Vibrational properties of PbHf0.975Sn0.025O3 single crystal at high pressures

Antiferroelectric PbHf0.975Sn0.025O3 single crystals were studied at room temperature by Raman scattering at pressures up to 16 GPa using a diamond anvil cell. Two phase transitions were found to take place at pressures near 3 and 9 GPa, respectively, as revealed by subtle changes in Raman spectral features. A soft mode was observed at the pressure-induced phase transition occurring at 9 GPa. At pressures above ∼14 GPa, the Raman peaks become very weak and the background scattering becomes very strong. The characteristic parameters of the Raman structures were determined throughout the whole phase transitions sequence.