Phase transition behavior of Pb(Hf, Sn, Ti, Nb)O3 ceramics at morphotropic phase boundary

Abstract

AbstractThe phase transition and dielectric properties of Pb0.988(Hf0.945SnxTi0.03‐xNb0.025)O3 ceramics (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.03, correspondingly abbreviated as H1, H2, H3, and H4) at the morphotropic phase boundary were systematically investigated. X‐ray diffraction results and P‐E hysteresis loops show that the dominate orthorhombic antiferroelectric phase and a small amount of the tetragonal FE phase coexist in Pb0.988(Hf0.945SnxTi0.03‐xNb0.025)O3 ceramics. As the Sn content increases, the antiferroelectricity is significantly enhanced, accompanied with an increased Curie temperature and sharply reduced peak dielectric constant. H1 and H2 experience an irreversible field‐induced AFE‐FE phase transition at the ambient temperature, and the transition from a metastable FE phase to the original AFE phase is observed in H2 when heated to 60°C. H3 and H4 experience an invertible AFE‐FE phase transition, along with an enhanced forward phase switching field EF. Moreover a decreased backward phase switching field EA for H4 is detected as the electric field increases due to the AFE/FE coexistence. These results reveal the unique phase transition characteristics of AFE materials near the phase boundary, which is helpful for better understanding of AFE/FE materials.