Acoustic Emission Study of PZN-7%PT Crystals

Abstract

Phase transitions in PbZn 1/3 Nb 2/3 O 3 -7%PbTiO 3 (PZN-7%PT) relaxor ferroelectric crystals have been investigated by the acoustic emission (AE) method. Two types of transitions have been detected: (i) associated with the thermally induced (on cooling) formation of intrinsic polar nanoregions (PNRs) and (ii) related to the electric-field-induced macroscopic phase transitions. An AE signal found near 740 K corresponds to the Burns temperature, below which the PNRs begin to form. Further cooling reveals an AE signal at 500 K, which is ascribed to the shift of PNRs along their polar direction relative to the surrounding non-polar matrix in the framework of the “phase-shifted condensed soft mode” model. Monitoring of the AE response of PZN-7%PT crystals under an increasing [001] dc electric field has allowed a unique in situ observation of a sequence of phase transitions, from the zero-field rhombohedral via M A monoclinic (∼ 3 kV/cm) and M C monoclinic (∼ 16 kV/cm) to the tetragonal (∼ 19 kV/cm) phase, respectively. It is shown that AE is a very sensitive method for detecting both the PNRs kinetics and low distortion phase transitions in relaxor ferroelectrics.