Anomalies in the slow polarization kinetics of a ferroelectric relaxor in the temperature region of a diffuse phase transition

It is shown experimentally in the specific example of Cr-doped barium-strontium niobate that the anomalies in the infralow-frequency dielectric properties characteristic of a ferroelectric relaxor persist over the whole temperature region of the diffuse phase transition and decrease gradually with increasing temperature. Experimental data are presented on the anomalous quasi-static dielectric hysteresis loops, the slow polarization kinetics, and the anomalously broad energy-distribution spectra of potential barriers. The anomalies are a signature and a quantitative measure of the structural disorder typical of a relaxor.