Effect of Mn substituents on the domain and local structures of Na1/2Bi1/2TiO3-BaTiO3 single crystals near a morphotropic phase boundary

The ferroelectric domain and local structures of Na1/2Bi1/2TiO3-x% BaTiO3 (NBT-BT) and 0.14 at. % Mn substituted Na1/2Bi1/2TiO3-x% BaTiO3 (Mn:NBT-BT) single crystals with x=5.5 near a morphotropic phase boundary have been investigated by transmission electron microscopy. Increased ferroelectric ordering and enhanced in-plane octahedral tilting were observed for Mn: NBT-BT compared with NBT-BT. Bragg-filtered lattice images revealed that the size of the in-phase tilt domains of Mn:NBT-BT were on the order of 2 to 8 nm, with a tendency of alignment along {110}. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3573801]