The ferroelectric-antiferroelectric transition in Pb[Zr0.9(CexTi1-x)0.1]O3 due to Ce4+ doping

The effect of B-site substitution of Ce4+ on the microstructure of the Pb[Zr-0.9(CexTi1-x)(0.1)]O-3 (0 less than or equal to x less than or equal to 0.7) ceramics is studied by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). For x = 0, only 1/2{hkl} superlattice reflections are found in the selected area diffraction patterns (SADPs), which correspond to the anti-phase rotation of the oxygen octahedra. Small amount of Ce4+ substitution causes the in-phase tilting of the oxygen octahedra and results in the 1/2{hk0} superlattice reflections. With 7 mol% addition of Ce4+ on the 13-site, the superlattice reflections at the 1/4{hk0} pseudocubic positions can be observed, indicative of the existence of the antiferroelectric (AFE) phase. The result conforms to the polarization-electric field (P-E) hysteresis loop measurements on. the corresponding bulk ceramic samples. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.