Poling induced dielectric anomalies in a PZT ceramic

Dielectric properties of Pb0.99375(Zr0.52Ti0.48)0.9875Nb0.0125O3 (PZTN) ceramics were measured during heating and cooling processes before and after poling. A dielectric anomaly from 220 K to 290 K was only observed in poled PZTN samples. The frequency dependence of the ε′′ peaks was fitted using the Vogel–Fulcher law, which indicated that this dielectric anomaly could be associated with the poling induced monoclinic distortion. Meanwhile, the existence of the low-temperature transformation involving rotations of the octahedra was confirmed by the broadening peaks in ε′′–T curves and the variation of slopes in ε′–T curves in both unpoled and poled samples.