Dielectric properties of Pb(ZrxTi1−x)O3 single crystals including monoclinic zirconia

Pb(Zr x Ti 1-x )O 3 single crystals including monoclinic zirconia were grown from Pb(Zr 0.5 Ti 0.5 )O 3 ceramics in a PbO-KF-PbCl 2 flux. The composition of the crystals was determined as Pb(Zr 0.3 Ti 0.7 )O 3 and the crystals included 8 vol% zirconia particles with a size of ∼5 μm. The dielectric constants showed a maximun around 415°C although the expected phase transition point (T c ) is about 440°C. The shift of T c was discussed in terms of the phenomenological Landau theory and explained by the existence of the internal compressive stress caused by the volume expansion of ZrO 2 .