A neutron powder diffraction study of the ferroelectric relaxor Pb(Fe1/2Ta1/2)O-3

Citation
Sa. Ivanov et al., A neutron powder diffraction study of the ferroelectric relaxor Pb(Fe1/2Ta1/2)O-3, J PHYS-COND, 13(1), 2001, pp. 25-33
Citations number
30
Categorie Soggetti
Apllied Physucs/Condensed Matter/Materiales Science
Journal title
JOURNAL OF PHYSICS-CONDENSED MATTER
ISSN journal
09538984 → ACNP
Volume
13
Issue
1
Year of publication
2001
Pages
25 - 33
Database
ISI
SICI code
0953-8984(20010108)13:1<25:ANPDSO>2.0.ZU;2-V
Abstract
The complex perovskite lead iron niobate, Pb(Fe1/2Ta1/2)O-3 (PFT), has been studied by neutron powder diffraction. Following collection of diffraction data at 300 K and at 10 K, structural refinements have been carried out by means of the Rietveld method. A straightforward unit cell of symmetry R3m was obtained for the 300 K structure, with the same symmetry, and a similar unit cell also obtained at the low temperature. In both cases, the iron an d titanium ions were found to be disordered over the perovskite B-sites. Fu rthermore, in order to obtain a good agreement with experiment at 10 K, it was necessary to assign non-zero magnetic moments to the iron ions, these b eing in a collinear, antiferromagnetic arrangement. This magnetic structure can be described with reference to doubled unit cell axes. The factors gov erning the observed structures of PFT are discussed by comparison with the related system of Pb(Fe1/2Nb1/2)O-3.