Physical properties and reentrant behavior in PLZT thin films

Abstract

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) ; Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) ; Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) ; Russian Foundation for Basic Research ; Government of the Russian Federation ; FCT/MEC ; FEDER ; CNPq: 304604/2015-1 ; CNPq: 400677/2014-8 ; CNPq: 232241/2014-7 ; Russian Foundation for Basic Research: 16-02-00821-a ; Government of the Russian Federation: 02.A03.21.0006 ; FCT/MEC: FCT UID/CTM/50011/2013 ; La-modified lead zirconate titanate (PLZT) thin films were prepared to study their physical properties at macro- and nanoscale. Piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) studies suggest a local imprint behavior at room temperature. Confirmed by P-E hysteresis loops recorded at 180-300K, the imprint effect at room temperature tends to disappear at lower temperatures. In addition, the remanent polarization gradually increases and then decreases after reaching a maximum at around 243K. This behavior suggests the occurrence of a reentrant dipole glass or an activated electric field effect in the studied PLZT films.