Electric field-induced antiferroelectric-to-ferroelectric phase transition in lead zirconate titanate stannate ceramics modified with lanthanum

Results of measurements in situ of electrostrictive strain, dielectric polarization, dielectric constant, and crystallographic parameters as functions of applied electric field in the temperature range 20–200 °C of Pb0.97La0.02(Zr0.66Ti0.11Sn0.23)O3 composition are reported. The antiferroelectric to ferroelectric phase transition with large volume change ΔV=0.35 Å3 is shown to be the dominant mechanism of the field-induced strain. The microscopic nature of the switching mechanism and the variation of the strain versus polarization squared at various temperatures are discussed.