Dielectric and optical properties of a quasi-ferroelectric PLZT ceramic

Certain compositions within the quaternary lead-lanthanum-titanate-zirconate (PLZT) system exhibit neither a "true" ferroelectric nor a "true" paraelectric behavior and are therefore best characterized as quasi-ferroelectric. The dielectric, hysteresis, and optical properties of quasi-ferroelectric PLZT ceramics have been investigated for the representative 9/65/35 composition which was prepared as a transparent ceramic by means of a two-stage sintering-densification process. The results of these studies suggest that the quasi-ferroelectric behavior of PLZT compositions between their Curie temperature and a transition temperature Tpis brought about by the existence of polar distorted microregions (polar short-range order). By applying an electric field a transition to a macroscopic ferroelectric (FE) state (polar long-range order) is enforced which is, however, not stable at zero field at T > Tp. This concept, which explains the experimental observations, is compared with the possibility of a FE to anti-FE phase transition at Tp. Attention is drawn to the quasi-static memory behavior of this type of material that can be realized by disconnecting the sample in its ON state from the voltage source and which might enlarge the scope of applications of quasi-ferroelectric PLZT ceramics.