In situ hot-stage transmission electron microscopy of Pb(Zr_0.52Ti_0.48)O₃

Abstract

The domain structure of Pb(Zr_0.52Ti_0.48)O₃ before and after hot-stage experiment has been studied. The influence of maximum temperature, heating and cooling rate on the domain configuration of Pb(Zr_{1− x} , Ti _x )O₃ with x = 0.40, 0.45, 0.48 and 0.55 was analysed. A reliable basis for further hot-stage experiments of Pb(Zr_1−x, Ti_x)O₃ has been established. The investigations revealed a temperature dependent appearance and disappearance of nano- and microdomains. The appearance of microdomains in the nano scale range during cooling, denoted as domain miniaturisation, and the time dependent recovering of the former domain structure, revealed that under specific experimental conditions the domain configuration is reversible.

Keywords:

• Lead zirconate titanate
• In situ TEM
• Nanodomain
• Microdomain
• Domain structure
• Domain miniaturisation

Acknowledgement

The authors would like to thank Horst Hahn, who had provided the double-tilt hot-stage holder and Dagmar Gerthsen for the hot-stage holder cooling device. The authors are very grateful for the assistance of Gabi Schierning during the in situ hot-stage TEM experiments. The research has been funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), Sonderforschungsbereich 595 “Electrical Fatigue in Functional materials”.