Regras de ocupação e influência de dopantes trivalentes em matrizes cerâmicas transparentes de PLZT 9/65/35

In this work, were investigated the occupancy of rare-earth ions in lattice site of the ferroelectric system (Pb,La)(Zr,Ti)O3, or PLZT. The influence on the structural, microestructural, dielectric, ferroelectric, optical and electro-optical properties, due to the aliovalent occupancy were also investigated. The rare-earth oxides (Nd2O3, Ho2O3, Er2O3, Tm2O3 e Yb2O3) were added, at 1.0 weight %, to the ceramic powders of PLZT (with La/Zr/Ti=9/65/35), synthesized by the conventional oxide mixing process, and then were re-calcined. The ceramic bodies, conformed from the milled powders, were densified by uniaxial hot pressing method. The properties of the ceramics were comparatively analyzed as a function of the rare-earth doping ions. The structural characterization, at room temperature, was made using the Rietveld refinement of the XRD patterns. In this way, for each composition, the effective stoichiometry, the lattice parameter and the crystalline symmetry were identified. The occupancy of the rare-earth ions were confirmed in the both, A and B, sites of the PLZT s perovskite structure (ABO3). The ionic occupancy is ruled by its atomic radii, pre-determined by Pauling rules for the structural stability. The effects of the aliovalent ionic occupancy were investigated using a novel parameter, the ―effective radius‖, defined as an average of the radius and the atomic concentration for each coordination number, i.e., a parameter which the geometric characteristic of the ion (ionic radius) and its molar content in each site are considered. In this way, it was observed that dopants with effective radius > 1.2 Å, as the Nd+3, preferentially occupy the A sites of the PLZT s perovskite structure. In this specific case, at room temperature, a cubic crystalline symmetry (paraelectric) was stabilized; a typical quadratic electro-optic effect and a slimloop polarization hysteresis were found. Up to 1.0 weight % of Nd2O3, ~1.9 mol % of Nd+3, were found no formation of segregated phase, that shows the ion stability in the crystalline lattice. The preferential occupancy of the A sites, as also in the case of the Ho+3, have the formation of lattice vacancies in the A sites, as consequence. The effects of these vacancies are the decrease of the polarization values and an increase of the diffusiveness of the phase transition. By the way, for doping ions with effective radius 1,2 Å, como no caso do Nd+3, têm ocupação preferencial nos sítios A da matriz PLZT. Neste caso, a temperatura ambiente, se estabiliza uma simetria cristalina do tipo cúbica (paraelétrica), o que resulta em um material com efeito eletro-ótico predominantemente quadrático e curvas de polarização versus campo elétrico do tipo slim-loop. Observou-se até o limite de 1,0% em peso de Nd2O3 adicionado, o que equivale a ~1,9% em mol do íon Nd+3, não há a formação de fases segregadas, o que indica sua estabilidade na rede cristalina. A ocupação aliovalente preferencial nos sítios A, neste caso como também no caso do Ho+3, resulta na formação de vacâncias nesse mesmo sítio, VA, assim, os efeitos dessas vacâncias, como a redução dos valores da polarização e o aumento da difusividade da transição de fase podem ser observados. Já para o caso de dopantes com raio efetivo