Structural heterogeneity and diffuse scattering in morphotropic lead zirconate-titanate single crystals

Phys Rev Lett. 2012 Aug 31;109(9):097603. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.109.097603. Epub 2012 Aug 29.

Abstract

Complementary diffuse and inelastic synchrotron x-ray scattering measurements of lead zirconate-titanate single crystals with composition near the morphotropic phase boundary (x=0.475) are reported. In the temperature range 293 K<T<400 K a highly anisotropic quasielastic diffuse scattering is observed. Above 400 K this scattering disappears. Its main features can be reproduced by the model of inhomogeneous lattice deformations caused by inclusions of a tetragonal phase into a rhombohedral or monoclinic phase. This observation supports the idea that PZT at its morphotropic phase boundary is essentially structurally inhomogeneous.