Second order elastic anomalies in barium titanate from cubic to tetragonal phase transition

The anomalies of the second order elastic constants have been derived for barium titanate for the phase transition from cubic to tetragonal. The equilibrium values of the components of the order parameter and the strain variables have been obtained from the stability conditions. The fluctuations in the order parameter have been derived from the Landau-Khalatnikov equations. Expression for the shift in the zero point energy in the tetragonal phase is obtained and is shown to be proportional to (T −T _c)². The anomalies for all the second order elastic constants have been derived and relations among them reported. It is shown that the second order elastic anomalies suffer a discontinuity at the transition temperature.     

Light-induced charge transport processes in photorefractive barium titanate doped with rhodium and iron

Absorption, light-induced absorption changes, photo and dark conductivities, bulk photovoltaic currents and two-beam coupling gain coefficients are measured for oxidized, as grown and reduced BaTiO₃:Rh,Fe crystals. Theoxidized sample shows hole conductivity and three photorefractive levels are present: Rh^4+/5+ Fe^4+/5+ and Rh^3+/4+. The measurements indicate that Rh^3+/4+ is responsible for the photo conductivity and that its energy level is located (0.9 ± 0.1) eV above the valence band edge. Theas grown sample also shows hole conductivity and two photorefractive levels are involved: Rh^3+/4+ and Fe 3+/4+. The results yield that the Fe^3+/4+ level is located (0.95 ± 0.05) eV above the valence band edge. In thereduced sample electrons are the dominant charge carriers and two levels are of importance. The shallow one is located (0.39 ± 0.05) eV below the conduction band edge. Here the performance of this crystal is strongly impaired by a pronounced sublinear photo conductivity.Dedicated to O. F. Schirmer on the occasion of his 60th birthday     

Second order elastic anomalies in barium titanate from orthorhombic to rhombohedral phase transition

The anomalies in second order elastic constants have been derived for barium titanate for the phase transition from orthorhombic to rhombohedral state. The equilibrium values of order parameter, strain variables and fluctuations in order parameter have been derived using stability conditions and Landau-Khalatnikov equations respectively. Expression for shift in specific heat is obtained. All the anomalies in second order elastic constants have been derived and relations among them reported. The numerical values of anomalies in the individual constants are calculated and their variation is represented graphically. Changes in elastic constants occur over a range of temperature of the order 10⁻²K.     

Logarithmic temperature variations of the elastic constant of barium titanate near the ferroelectric phase transition

The temperature variations of the elastic constant C₁₁ and the corresponding acoustic attenuation coefficient of barium titanate single crystals grown by two different methods in the paraelectric phase were obtained in a wide temperature by means of Brillouin light scattering. Two phenomenological approaches were adopted to attempt to explain the anomalous change in C₁₁ (denoted as ΔC₁₁) in the paraelectric phase. ΔC₁₁ exhibited a logarithmic variation as log[(T ? T₀)/T₀] in a certain temperature range from T_c to about T_c + 80 °C instead of the other variation of (T ? T₀)^ζ predicted by the mean-field approach. This temperature range was almost the same as the range where precursor dynamics were theoretically predicted to set in. The fact that the logarithmic variation was proposed for uniaxial systems might indicate that the correlated deformation of precursor polar clusters is tetragonal, as was suggested from nuclear magnetic resonance study [7].     

Dispersion of the complex conductivity in doped polycrystalline barium titanate

Possible mechanisms of polarization relaxation in barium titanate are considered. The dispersion of the dielectric permeability and conductivity is investigated. On the assumption of a single relaxation time, the dispersion coefficients are calculated. Assumptions are advanced on the development of interlayer polarization in the samples investigated.Translated from Izvestiya VUZ. Fizika, No. 6, pp. 52–56, June, 1973.     

Shock-induced phase transition and spalling characteristic in pure iron and FeMnNi alloy

This paper provides an investigation of the phase transition and spalling characteristic induced during shock loading and unloading in the pure iron and the FeMnNi alloy. The impact for the pure iron is symmetric and with same-thickness for both the flyer and the target plate. It is found that an abnormal multiple spalling happens in the pure iron sample as the pressure exceeds the $\alpha -\varepsilon $ transition threshold of 13 GPa. In the symmetric and same-thickness impact and reverse impact experiments of the FeMnNi alloy, two abnormal tension regions occur when the pressure exceeds the $\alpha -\varepsilon $ transition threshold of 6.3~GPa, and the reverse phase transition $\varepsilon -\alpha $ begins below 4.2~GP. The experimental process is simulated successfully from the non-equilibrium mixture phase and Boettger's model. Such abnormal spalling phenomena are believed to relate to the shocked $\alpha -\varepsilon $ phase transition. The possible reasons for the abnormal multiple spalling, which occurs during the symmetric and same-thickness impact experiments of pure iron and FeMnNi alloy, are discussed.     

Dielectric properties and substitution preference of yttrium doped barium zirconium titanate ceramics

The dielectric properties of Ba(Zr_0.25Ti_0.75)O₃+xY ₂O₃ ceramics are investigated. We believe that, integrating with the lattice parameters, there is an alternation of substitution preference of yttrium ions for the host cations in perovskite lattice that is responsible for the Curie point. The T_c rises with the increase of Y ³⁺ doping when the doping content is less than 0.05 at%, owing to the replacement of Y ³⁺ ions for Ba²⁺ ions at the A-site; when the Y ³⁺ content is more than 0.05 at%, Y ³⁺ ions tend to occupy the B-site in perovskite lattice, causing a drop of T_c. Owing to the modifications of Y ³⁺ doping, the loss tangent of BZT ceramics is depressed remarkably, making it a superior candidate to replace widely used lead-contained ceramics.     

Influence of 90° domain switching on the physical properties of tetragonal barium titanate single crystals

In this paper, we report the influence of 90° domain switching on the physical properties of tetragonal BaTiO₃ single crystals. It is found that the contribution of 90° domain switching to the piezoelectric response is much larger in magnitude than the contribution of the direct piezoelectric effect under large external mechanical stress. Simultaneously, the interconversion of a and c crystallographic axes and the large actuation strain as high as 1% is induced by 90° domain switching in the tetragonal BaTiO₃ single crystal.     

Effect of superconductivity on the cubic to tetragonal structural transition due to a two-fold degenerate electronic band

The effect of the BCS superconductivity on the cubic to tetragonal structural transition arising from a two-fold degenerate electronic band is investigated within the mean field approximation. The phase diagram of the two transitions is given for a half filled e_g-band. Modification of the two transitions when they are close together are also discussed.     

Structural and electronic characteristics of pure and doped ZnO varistors

We report here the structural,surface morphology,mechanical,and current-voltage characteristics of Zn1-xMxO ceramic samples with various x and M(0.00≤x≤0.20,M=Ni,Cu).It is found that the considered dopants do not influence the well-known peaks related to the wurtzite structure of ZnO ceramics,while the shapes and the sizes of grains are clearly affected.The average crystalline diameters deduced from the SEM micrographs are between 2.06 μm and 4.8 μm for all samples.The oxygen element ratio is increased by both dopants.Interestingly,the potential barrier can be formed by adding Cu up to 0.20,while it is completely deformed by 0.025 Ni addition.The breakdown field can be enhanced up to 4138 V/cm by 0.025 Cu addition,followed by a decrease with further increase of Cu up to 0.20.On the other hand,a gradual decrease in Vickers microhardness is reported for both dopants,and the values in the Ni samples are higher compared to those in the Cu samples.The electrical conductivity is generally improved by Ni,while the addition of Cu improves it only in the over doped region(≥0.10).These results are discussed in terms of the differences of valency and ferromagnetic ordering.     

Computer simulation of the structural phase transitions in ferroelectrics of barium titanate type

A molecular-dynamic model of an ABO₃ crystal with a perovskite-type structure has been developed, which implements dense packing of soft ions. A large number of different crystalline modifications, including polar ones, can be obtained within this model by insignificant variation in the radii of AandB ions. The model can be used to describe the structural phase transitions occurring with a change in temperature.     

Neutron diffraction study of the size-induced tetragonal to monoclinic phase transition in zirconia nanocrystals

Accurate neutron powder diffraction experiments at several temperatures allow one to monitor the reconstructive tetragonal to monoclinic phase transition as a function of the size of zirconia nanoparticles. The structure of the tetragonal phase observed in the nanocrystals is identical to that observed in micrometric zirconia above 1400 K. A uniaxial strain depending on grain size is observed. The phase transition occurs above a threshold crystal size. These results are analyzed within the Landau theory and can be understood as a mechanism of size-dependent phase transition where the primary order parameter is altered by the nanoparticle size.     

Structural and electronic properties of laser irradiated pure iron

The surface of a pure iron sample irradiated with a high power pulsed laser has been studied by UHV electron spectroscopies in the reflection mode (AES, EELS and EELFS) in order to verify the experimental hint of a laser induced non-crystalline surface layer.Our results point out that the local arrangement of atoms in the laser irradiated surface is not disorder-like: no significant differences in structural and electronic properties between irradiated and non-irradiated samples have been detected in the short-range limit (up to the fourth coordination shell).This result agrees with a theoretical computer calculation which predicts, for pure metals, a cooling rate of the order of 10¹⁰ K sec^?1 after the laser pulse, not sufficient to avoid recrystallization.     

Investigation of ferroelectric phase transition for modified barium titanate in multilayer ceramic capacitors by in situ Raman scattering and dielectric measurement

The ferroelectric phase behaviors of modified BaTiO₃ in X7R multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs) were investigated by dielectric measurements and in situ Raman scattering. The in situ thermo-Raman scattering shows that because of a residual stress existing in the MLCCs, the tetragonal to cubic phase transition for modified BaTiO₃ in MLCCs takes place over a wide temperature range of 373 K to 473 K, suggesting a diffuse-like characteristic which can be well explained by a modified phenomenological thermodynamic model, while the dielectric measurement indicates that the tetragonal to cubic transition occurs at 393 K. A disagreement exists between the two experimental results. Furthermore, a dc field-induced paraelectric to ferroelectric transition was identified by the two measurement techniques, but their phase-transition mechanisms are different. The dielectric measurement reveals the polar-micro-region to macro-domain transformation in the shell part of the core–shell structure while the in situ Raman scattering shows the cubic to tetragonal transition under a dc bias field. PACS 74.20.De; 77.22.Ch; 77.84.Dy; 77.80.Bh; 78.30.-j