Irreversible phase transition characteristic of 0.91Pb(Zn1/3Nb2/3)O3-0.09PbTiO3 single crystals by domain observation

In situ temperature dependent ferroelectric domains dynamic evolution of the (001)pc oriented 0.91Pb(Zn1/3Nb2/3)O3-0.09PbTiO3 (PZNT91/9) single crystals was observed by polarized light microscopy (PLM) and real time synchrotron-radiation (SR) X-ray white-beam topography. Intricate domain structures including monoclinic phase are distinguished by PLM at room temperature, and irreversible domain configuration dynamic evolution upon thermal cycling is observed by both methods. Such irreversible domain evolution combined with coexistence of multi-phases and polarization rotation may be related to the extraordinary piezoelectric performance in the ferroelectric single crystals with the morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) compositions.