ABSTRACT
Neutron powder diffraction data, collected over the temperature range 10-770 K, have been analysed in order to make a detailed characterization of the sequence of phase transitions occurring in the Hf-rich ferroelectric PbHf(0.8)Ti(0.2)O3, titanium hafnium lead oxide. Over the whole temperature range this compound undergoes two phase transitions, which involve cationic displacements and octahedral deformations (tilt and/or distortion) leading to strongly distorted perovskite-type structures. The first transition appears around 415 K between two ferroelectric rhombohedral phases: a low-temperature nonzero-tilt phase F(RL) (space group R3c) and an intermediate zero-tilt phase FRH (space group R3m). The second one, detected around 520 K, is associated with a ferroelectric to-paraelectric transition between the FRH phase and the Pc cubic phase (space group Pm3m). From high-resolution neutron powder diffraction data (diffractometer 3T2-LLB, Saclay, France, lambda = 1.2251 A), the crystallographic structure of the three successive phases has been accurately determined at the following temperatures: T = 10 K (FRL): space group R3c, Z = 6, a(hex) = 5.7827 (1), c(hex) = 14.2702 (4) A, V(hex) = 413.26 (2) A3; T = 150 K (F(RL)): space group R3c, Z = 6, a(hex) = 5.7871 (1), C(hex) = 14.2735 (4) A, V(hex) = 413.98 (3) A3; T = 290 K (FRL): space group R3c, Z = 6, a(hex) = 5.7943 (1), C(hex) = 14.2742 (5) A, V(hex) = 415.04 (3) A3; T = 440 K (F(RH)): space group R3c, Z = 6, a(hex) = 5.8025 (1), c(hex) = 14.2648 (4) A, V(hex) = 415.94 (3) A3; T = 520 K (Pc): space group Pm3m, Z = 1, a(cub) = 4.1072 (2) A, V(cub) = 69.29 (1) A3. In addition, a neutron powder thermodiffractometry experiment, performed between 290 and 770 K (diffractometer D1B-ILL, Grenoble, France, lambda = 2.533 A), has been used to study in situ the temperature-induced phase transitions. From sequential Rietveld refinements, the temperature dependence of the cation displacements and the rotation and/or distortion of oxygen octahedra was derived.
ABSTRACT
Temperature-dependent neutron powder diffraction experiments (diffractometer 3T2-LLB, Saclay, France, lambda = 1.227 Å) have been performed on the perovskite-like lead hafnate titanate PbHf(0.4)Ti(0.6)O(3). This compound belongs to the solid solution denoted PHT, which derives from the well known ferroelectric PZT series. It exhibits a ferroelectric-to-paraelectric phase transition around 620 K, between the low-temperature tetragonal phase and the high-temperature cubic phase. The tetragonal structure of the ferroelectric phase has been refined at 10 and 300 K using a Rietveld-type method: space group P4mm with Z = 1; a(t) = 3.999 (1), c(t) = 4.120 (1) Å, c/a = 1.030, V = 65.89 Å(3) at 10 K; a(t) = 4.012 (1) and c(t) = 4.100 (1) Å, c/a = 1.022, V = 65.99 Å(3) at 300 K. The cubic structure of the paraelectric phase has also been refined at 720 K: space group Pm3;m, Z = 1, a(c) = 4.046 (1) Å, V = 66.23 Å(3). Cation displacements and oxygen-octahedra elongations have been observed as a function of temperature. Evidence for peculiar behaviour associated with the relative shifts of the Hf and Ti atoms (thought until now to be on the same crystallographic site) was found through an anomaly of the mean-square atomic displacements of the Hf/Ti pseudo-nucleus. The PDF Nos for PbHf(0.4)Ti(0.6)O(3) are 48-49-9 and 48-49-10.
