Domain configurations in domain engineered 0.955Pb(Zn1/3Nb2/3)O3-0.045PbTiO3 single crystals

We report an optical microscopy study on the domain structures of 0.955Pb(Zn1/3Nb2/3)O-3-0.045PbTiO(3) rhombohedral phase single crystals poled along [001] of the cubic coordinates. Both charged and uncharged domain walls are observed in domain engineered samples and they could join together to form L and T shaped domain walls, which are very unique. The observed domains are between 10 and 100 mu m in size, which are much bigger than expected. Most of the samples have only two of the four possible degenerate domain states, making the macroscopic symmetry to be mm2 or lower rather than 4mm previously assumed. (C) 2000 American Institute of Physics. [S0021-8979(00)02710-9].