Lattice dynamics and antiferroelectricity in PbZrO${}_3$ tested by X-ray and Brillouin light scattering

Abstract

We report the results of comprehensive study of the critical dynamics of the prototype perovskite antiferroelectric PbZrO${}_3$. The combination of inelastic X-ray and diffuse X-ray scattering techniques and Brillouin light scattering was used. It is found that the dispersion of the TA phonons is strongly anisotropic. The dispersion curve of the in-plane polarized TA phonons propagating in [1 1 0] direction demonstrates pronounced softening. Slowing down of the excitations at R-point is found, it is manifested in growing of the central peak. This slowing down is too weak to be considered as a primary origin of the corresponding order parameter. Obtained results are treated in terms of TA--TO flexoelectric mode coupling. It is demonstrated that the structural phase transformation in PbZrO${}_3$ can be considered as the result of the only intrinsic instability associated with the ferroelectric soft mode.

arXiv comment13 pages, 8 figures

References in corpus (3)

• Multiple soft-mode vibrations of lead zirconate
• A reassessment of the Burns temperature and its relationship to the diffuse scattering, lattice dynamics, and thermal expansion in the relaxor PMN
• Low energy phonon spectrum and its parameterization in pure KTaO3 under 80 K

Cited by in corpus (8)

• The influence of elastic strain gradient on the upper limit of flexocoupling strength, spatially-modulated phases and soft phonon dispersion in ferroics
• Flexocoupling induced soft acoustic mode and the spatially modulated phases in ferroelectrics
• Lattice dynamics in the paraelectric phase of PbHfO${}_3$ studied by inelastic X-ray scattering
• Introduction to High-Resolution Inelastic X-Ray Scattering
• Size effect of soft phonon dispersion law in nanosized ferroics
• Probing phonon softening in ferroelectrics by the scanning probe microwave spectroscopy
• Intrinsic structural instabilities of domain walls driven by gradient couplings: meandering anferrodistortive-ferroelectric domain walls in BiFeO3
• Flexoelectricity induced spatially modulated phases in ferroics and liquid crystals (Author review)