Crystal growth of PZN-PT single crystals and critical issues for higher piezoelectric coefficient

Single crystals of lead zinc niobate-lead titanate (1-x)Pb(Zn1/3Nb2/3)O3xPbTiO3 for x = 8% and 9% have been grown by flux method using Lead Oxide (PbO) as flux. Low scan rate XRD has been carried out to investigate on the structural influence of the compositional variations in the grown crystals. Transmission spectra in the range of UV-Vis-Near IR and mid IR regions have been carried out to understand the distortions caused in the BO6 octahedral lattice. Morphological aspects of as-grown PZN-PT crystals have also been investigated. Dielectric measurements clearly explained the dependence of Tc and diffusiveness with PT content. The values of Pr and Ecobtained from P-E loops suggest the presence of ordered domain state in these PZN-PT single crystals. (C) 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)