Electrical properties and electric field-induced antiferroelectric–ferroelectric phase transition in Nd3+-doped lead strontium zirconate titanate ceramics

Undoped and 1–3 at. % Nd3+-doped lead strontium zirconate titanate ceramics, which were located near the tetragonal antiferroelectric (AFE) and rhombohedral ferroelectric (FE) phase boundary, were prepared by tape casting and sintering. The influence of the electric field-induced AFE to FE phase transition on the piezoelectric and strain behavior was studied. Attempts were made to increase the field-induced strain by Nd3+ doping and its effect on the dielectric properties. Room temperature resistivity was also measured and explained by the defects produced. An in situ x-ray diffraction technique was developed for direct observation of the unit cell dimensions associated with the field-induced AFE to FE phase transition. The results indicated that a change in unit cell volume was responsible for the large field-induced strain associated with the AFE–FE phase transition.