4.3 Article

Birefringence induced by antiferroelectric switching in transparent polycrystalline PbZr0.95Ti0.05O3 film

Journal

PHYSICAL REVIEW MATERIALS
Volume 6, Issue 9, Pages -

Publisher

AMER PHYSICAL SOC
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevMaterials.6.L091403

Keywords

-

Funding

  1. Luxembourgish National Research Fund [INTER/ANR/16/11562984/EXPAND, C16/MS/11348912, FNR-PRIDE/15/10935404]
  2. Luxembourgish National Research Fund [PRIDE/17/12246511/PACE]
  3. Operational Programme Research, Development, and Education
  4. European Structural and Investment Funds and by the Czech Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sports [SOLID21-CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/16_019/0000760]

Ask authors/readers for more resources

This study investigates the effect of field-induced phase transition on birefringence change in PbZr0.95Ti0.05O3. By using a polycrystalline PbZr0.95Ti0.05O3 film with interdigitated electrodes, changes in birefringence under a polarized microscope were observed. The film in its polar phase behaves like a homogeneous birefringent medium. The change in birefringence has both a fast response and a slower saturation contribution.
The most characteristic functional property of antiferroelectric materials is the possibility to induce a phase transition from a nonpolar to a polar phase by an electric field. Here, we investigate the effect of this field-induced phase transition on the birefringence change of PbZr0.95Ti0.05O3. We use a transparent polycrystalline PbZr0.95Ti0.05O3 film grown on PbTiO3/HfO2/SiO2 with interdigitated electrodes to directly investigate changes in birefringence in a simple transmission geometry. In spite of the polycrystalline nature of the film and its moderate thickness, the field-induced transition produces a sizable effect observable under a polarized microscope. The film in its polar phase is found to behave like a homogeneous birefringent medium. The time evolution of this field-induced birefringence provides information about irreversibilities in the antiferroelectric switching process and its slow dynamics. The change in birefringence has two main contributions: One that responds briskly and a slower one that rises and saturates over a period of as long as 30 min. Possible origins for this long saturation and relaxation times are discussed.

Authors

I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.

Reviews

Primary Rating

4.3
Not enough ratings

Secondary Ratings

Novelty
-
Significance
-
Scientific rigor
-
Rate this paper

Recommended

No Data Available
No Data Available