Evolution of nanodomains in the uniaxial relaxor Sr0.61Ba0.39Nb2O6:Ce

IEEE Trans Ultrason Ferroelectr Freq Control. 2006 Dec;53(12):2275-9. doi: 10.1109/tuffc.2006.173.

Abstract

The evolution of the nanodomain pattern of the uniaxial relaxor ferroelectric strontium barium niobate doped with cerium was studied by piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM). The fractal-like nanodomains observed at room temperature decay on heating. At temperatures up to about 15 K above the Curie temperature, Tc = 320 K, areas of correlated polarization are still visible. On cooling from the paraelectric state to below Tc, a slow isothermal growth of nanodomain was found. The mean domain size increases according to a logarithmic law as predicted for the three-dimensional random field Ising model.

MeSH terms

  • Barium Compounds / chemistry*
  • Barium Compounds / radiation effects
  • Cerium / chemistry*
  • Cerium / radiation effects
  • Computer Simulation
  • Electric Impedance
  • Electrochemistry / instrumentation
  • Electrochemistry / methods*
  • Electromagnetic Fields
  • Materials Testing
  • Models, Chemical*
  • Nanostructures / chemistry*
  • Nanostructures / radiation effects
  • Nanostructures / ultrastructure*
  • Nitrates / chemistry
  • Nitrates / radiation effects
  • Particle Size
  • Strontium / chemistry*
  • Strontium / radiation effects

Substances

  • Barium Compounds
  • Nitrates
  • Cerium
  • barium nitrate
  • Strontium