Raman spectroscopy study of the phase transitions in Pb0.99Nb0.02[(Zr0.57Sn0.43)1-yTiy]0.98O3 ceramics

Detailed studies of the phase transitions in Pb0.99Nb0.02[( Zr0.57Sn0.43)(1-y)Ti-y](0.98) O-3 ( y = 0.03, 0.04, 0.05, 0.06, 0.07, 0.08, 0.10, and 0.12) ceramics as a function of composition, temperature, electric field, and time were conducted using Raman spectroscopy. At room temperature, the as-sintered ceramics with y = 0.03 - 0.08 show an antiferroelectric order while those with y = 0.10 and 0.12 show a ferroelectric order. For the ceramic with y = 0.08, however, a ferroelectric order can also be stabilized at room temperature when it is warmed up from lower temperatures. The electric field-induced ferroelectric phase in the ceramic with y = 0.07 is metastable at room temperature and ages back to the stable antiferroelectric phase on a timescale of hours.