Direct Observation of the Formation of Polar Nanoregions in $\mathrm{Pb}({\mathrm{Mg}}_{1/3}{\mathrm{Nb}}_{2/3}){\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ Using Neutron Pair Distribution Function Analysis

Direct Observation of the Formation of Polar Nanoregions in $Pb ({Mg}_{1 / 3} {Nb}_{2 / 3}) O_{3}$ Using Neutron Pair Distribution Function Analysis

I.-K. Jeong, T. W. Darling, J. K. Lee, Th. Proffen, R. H. Heffner, J. S. Park, K. S. Hong, W. Dmowski, and T. Egami

Phys. Rev. Lett. 94, 147602 – Published 15 April 2005

Abstract

Using neutron pair distribution function analysis over the temperature range from 1000 to 15 K, we demonstrate the existence of local polarization and the formation of medium-range, polar nanoregions (PNRs) with local rhombohedral order in a prototypical relaxor ferroelectric $Pb ({Mg}_{1 / 3} {Nb}_{2 / 3}) O_{3}$ . We estimate the volume fraction of the PNRs as a function of temperature and show that this fraction steadily increases from 0% to a maximum of $\sim 30 %$ as the temperature decreases from 650 to 15 K. Below $T \sim 200 K$ the volume fraction of the PNRs becomes significant, and PNRs freeze into the spin-glass-like state.

Received 7 December 2004

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.94.147602

Authors & Affiliations

I.-K. Jeong^*, T. W. Darling, J. K. Lee, Th. Proffen, and R. H. Heffner

Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA

J. S. Park and K. S. Hong

School of Materials Science and Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea

W. Dmowski

Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, USA

T. Egami

Department of Materials Science and Engineering and Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, USA, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, USA

^*Electronic address: jeong@lanl.gov

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Vol. 94, Iss. 14 — 15 April 2005

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Physical Review Letters

Direct Observation of the Formation of Polar Nanoregions in Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3 Using Neutron Pair Distribution Function Analysis

I.-K. Jeong, T. W. Darling, J. K. Lee, Th. Proffen, R. H. Heffner, J. S. Park, K. S. Hong, W. Dmowski, and T. Egami

Phys. Rev. Lett. 94, 147602 – Published 15 April 2005

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Direct Observation of the Formation of Polar Nanoregions in $Pb ({Mg}_{1 / 3} {Nb}_{2 / 3}) O_{3}$ Using Neutron Pair Distribution Function Analysis