Electro-caloric effect in relaxor and ferroelectric compositions of Pb(Mg(1-x)/3Nb2(1-x)/3Zrx)O3 ceramics

Solid solution of relaxor PMN and antiferroelectric PZ, [Pb(Mg(1-x)/3Nb2(1-x)/3Zrx)O-3], behaves like ferroelectric with increasing PZ content following a wide composition range of diminishing relaxor properties. Electro-caloric measurements on three relaxor and one ferroelectric composition of this solid solution have been carried out by indirect method. All the compositions give a maximum temperature change of similar to 0.33 K on application of 1 kV/mm electric field. This value is higher than the PLZT or PMN-PT based relaxors. A shift of similar to 35 degrees C in the temperature of electro-caloric maximum was observed with application of electric field, for relaxor compositions, attributed to the field induced effect on the transition temperature. Similar shift for ferroelectric composition is significantly lower (similar to 8 degrees C). (C) 2012 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.