Domain reorientation dynamics of sol–gel derived strontium doped PLZT (8/65/35)

Polycrystalline samples of PLSZT with the composition Pb0.92−x La0.08Sr x (Zr0.65Ti0.35)O3 (where x = 0, 0.02, 0.04, 0.06, 0.08, and 0.10) have been synthesized by sol–gel technique. DTA analysis confirms that all the organic constituents get decomposed and final PLZT is formed at 545 °C. The XRD analysis suggests the formation of single rhombohedral perovskite phase with decreasing unit cell parameter. Crystallite size calculated, using Scherrer’s equation, was found to decrease with Sr doping due to smaller ionic radii of Sr than Pb. Compact uniform grain distribution was observed from SEM micrographs. The ferroelectric to paraelectric phase transition temperature, maximum dielectric constant and remanent polarization (P r) were found to decrease with Sr doping along with increasing diffuse nature of phase transformation. Detailed domain reorientation dynamics study suggests that Sr doping increases the percentage backswitching and decreases the normalized coercivity by decreasing the viscous nature of composition.