Synthesis and ferroelectric properties of La-substituted PZFNT

In this paper we are reporting a systematic study on ferroelectric properties of lanthanum (La) substituted modified lead zirconate titanate (PLZFNT) ceramics which were fabricated by mixed oxide process. La contents were varied in between 0 and 0.01 in steps of 0.0025. The X-ray diffraction study shows single phase for all samples. Silver electrode was deposited on flat surfaces of sintered discs for P–E (polarization vs. electric field) measurements. All compositions exhibited well-defined ferroelectric behavior at room temperature. Hysteresis loops were also recorded at different temperatures for all the compositions which showed typical variation of ferroelectric nature. The PLZFNT composition with 1 mol% of La showed the best retention behavior. The results are discussed.