Domain structure sequence in ferroelectric Pb(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O3 thin film on MgO

TL;DR

This study investigates the temperature-dependent structural evolution of a ferroelectric Pb(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O3 thin film on MgO, revealing critical phase transition temperatures and domain structure changes consistent with theoretical models.

Contribution

It provides detailed experimental insights into domain structure transitions and validates theoretical phase diagrams for ferroelectric thin films.

Findings

Identified two critical temperatures: 740K for domain structure change and 825K for phase transition.

Observed the film remains tetragonal across the temperature range.

Experimental results agree with theoretical domain stability and phase diagrams.

Abstract

The structural evolution of a polydomain ferroelectric Pb(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O3 film was studied by temperature dependent X-ray diffraction. Two critical temperatures were evidenced: T*=740K, corresponding to a change in the domain structure (a/c/a/c to a1/a2/a1/a2), and Tc_film = 825K where the film undergoes a ferroelectricparaelectric phase transition. The films remains tetragonal on the whole range of temperature investigated. The evolutions of the domain structure and lattice parameters were found to be in very good agreement with the calculated domain stability map and theoretical temperature-misfit strain phase diagram respectively.