Broad-band dielectric response of PbMg1/3Nb2/3O3 relaxor ferroelectrics: Single crystals, ceramics and thin films

Data of the extensive study of dielectric response of relaxor PbMg1/3Nb2/3O3 (PMN) single crystals, ceramics (standard and textured) and thin films (thickness 500 nm, sapphire substrate) in the broad frequency range (3 × 10−3 to 1014 Hz) were combined, summarized and analyzed. Influence of the mesoscopic structure, possible strain and defects in ceramics and thin film on both relaxational and phonon dynamics is discussed. The phonon response of PMN single crystal and thin film appears to be very similar, including the soft mode behaviour. Similar to PMN crystals, the dielectric response of PMN ceramics and films is mainly determined by relaxational dynamics of polar nanoclusters. Flipping and breathing of the clusters are assumed to be the dominant mechanisms, which can be resolved in the frequency spectra of the complex permittivity. The mesoscopic structure and defects in the ceramics do not result in any significant contribution to additional mechanisms, but influence the dynamics of nanoclusters and lead to pinning of the flipping contribution. In thin films the dielectric response due to cluster dynamics is much more reduced.