Issue 14, 2012

Progress in lead-based ferroelectric and antiferroelectric single crystals: composition modification, crystal growth and properties

Abstract

Ferroelectric and antiferroelectric materials, with complex perovskite structures, have experienced wide interest due to their peculiar structure and properties. In this highlight, recent advances of these two types of materials are reviewed, with particular emphasis on piezoelectrics/ferroelectric and antiferroelectric single crystals, owing to their ultra-high electric properties for practical application. Relaxor ferroelectric single crystals, represented by Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3–PbTiO3 (PMN-PT) at compositions near the morphotropic phase boundary (MPB), possess a high piezoelectric constant d33 (>2000 pC N−1) and electromechanical coupling factors k33 (90–92%). However, a low ferroelectric phase transition temperature Tr-t, far below the Curie temperature Tc restricts its further application in a broad temperature range. Some work on the design of a new pseudo-ternary system of Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3–PbZrO3–PbTiO3 (PMN-PZ-PT) and Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3–Pb(Fe1/2Nb1/2)O3–PbTiO3 (PMN-PFN-PT) have been demonstrated with emphasis on the composition modification and crystal growth. Moreover, for relaxor antiferroelectrics represented by (Pb,La)(Zr,Sn,Ti)O3 (PLZST) it is very difficult to grow bulk and high quality single crystals because of its incongruent melting. Our recent investigations on the flux growth of PLZST single crystals, especially the flux selection, compositions optimization, and defect analysis of as-grown single crystals are also described in this highlight.

Graphical abstract: Progress in lead-based ferroelectric and antiferroelectric single crystals: composition modification, crystal growth and properties

Article information

Article type
Highlight
Submitted
26 Oct 2011
Accepted
06 Feb 2012
First published
02 Mar 2012

CrystEngComm, 2012,14, 4547-4556

Progress in lead-based ferroelectric and antiferroelectric single crystals: composition modification, crystal growth and properties

N. Luo, Y. Li, Z. Xia and Q. Li, CrystEngComm, 2012, 14, 4547 DOI: 10.1039/C2CE06430H

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