Single Crystal of the Pb(Zn1/3Nb2/3)O3–PbTiO3 System Grown by the Vertical Bridgeman Method and Its Characterization

Abstract
A large single crystal (about 30 mm in diameter by 20 mm long) of the Pb(Zn1/3Nb2/3)O3–PbTiO3 (PZN–PT) solid solution system was successfully grown using the vertical Bridgeman method and its properties were investigated. No defects such as flux inclusions were observed on as-polished {100} plates, except in a small area near the nucleation point. Further, a domain structure with striped patterning, and an opaque area were observed in the light yellow plate. Distribution of the temperature of transition (T RT) from the ferroelectric rhombohedral phase to the tetragonal phase was investigated within the {100} plates. Transition temperatures were found to be scattered in the range of 48°C to 103°C across the area of these plates. Small rectangular samples poled along the [001] direction and cut along the [100] direction from (001) plates containing 9.5 to 10 mol% of PbTiO3, and with a transition temperature of T RT=70–90°C, exhibited high electromechanical coupling constants (rectangular bar mode, k 33 >85%) at room temperature.