Relaxor as heterophase fluctuation

A neutron diffuse scattering experiment on the relaxor ferroelectric PZN(Pb Zn1/3Nb2/3O3) has been carried out. The diffuse scatterings show strongly a nisotropic distributions around the reciprocal lattice points; whose patter ns change drastically depending on the index of the reciprocal lattice poin t. These experimental results are analyzed based on the G-L type free energ y functional including electrostrictive energy. It is verified that the obs erved diffuse scattering is due to the strain field produced by polar micro clusters which are characterized as the heterophase fluctuations of polari zation.