Ferroelectric behavior in 5/65/35 hot-pressed PLZT ceramics

Lanthanum lead zirconate titanate with 5 at.% of La (5/65/35 PLZT) hot-pressed ceramics have been studied in order to explore its dielectric properties below Burns temperature. Previous measurements of 6.5/65/35 hot-pressed PLZT ceramics revealed relaxor-ferroelectric behavior, i.e. coexisting ferroelectric and relaxor dielectric response. Similar relaxor behavior, though not so pronounced, was also expected at lower concentrations of La in 5/65/35 hot-pressed PLZT ceramics. We explored the possible duality of ferroelectric and glassy relaxor behavior in 5/65/35 hot-pressed PLZT ceramics with measurements of the complex linear dielectric susceptibility as a function of temperature and bias electric field. These experiments revealed no indications of prominent relaxor behavior. Results revealed solely a smeared relaxor to ferroelectric transition. Moreover, polarization hysteresis measurements below this transition confirmed existence of the ferroelectric phase in zero bias electric field in 5/65/35 hot-pressed PLZT ceramics without relaxor features like freezing process and frequency dependence.