Optical and nonlinear optical investigations of phase transition of Pb(Zn1/3Nb2/3)O3-9%PbTiO3 single crystals

Abstract

Successive phase transitions of Pb(Zn1/3Nb2/3)O 3-9%PbTiO3 single crystals with the morphotropic phase boundary composition are investigated using polarization and scanning-type second-harmonic generation (SHG) microscopes. Clear phase transitions between monoclinic and tetragonal, and tetragonal and cubic phases are observed with temperature hysteresis. A three-dimensional domain structure with a domain boundary consistent with the m3̄mFm(p) transition is observed with the SHG microscope at room temperature. Monoclinic domains develop with a long relaxation time in the zero-field cooling process. © 2010 The Japan Society of Applied Physics.