Metastable ferroelectric phase in lanthanum-doped lead zirconate titanate stannate antiferroelectric ceramics

Abstract Metastable ferroelectric phase induced by electric field in lanthanum-doped lead zirconate titanate stannate antiferroelectric ceramics near morphotropic phase boundary were studied as a function of electric field, temperature and hydrostatic pressure. Upon application of an electric field to the antiferroelectric ceramics, the rhombohedral FE phase can be induced from tetragonal AFE phase when the induced field was larger than the critical field EAEF-FE, and the induced FE phase can remain metastable state when the electric field was removed. The metastable FE phase was unstable, which recovered to AFE phase again with the increasing of temperature at about 80 °C and the increase of hydrostatic pressure at 150 MPa, respectively. Large charge release from remanent polarization of metastable FE phase was accompanied with phase transition. The relationships of critical parameters of field-induced phase transition were also shown.