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Raman scattering study of the soft mode in Pb(Mg 1/3 Nb 2/3 )O 3
Author(s) -
Taniguchi Hiroki,
Itoh Mitsuru,
Fu Desheng
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
journal of raman spectroscopy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.748
H-Index - 110
eISSN - 1097-4555
pISSN - 0377-0486
DOI - 10.1002/jrs.2746
Subject(s) - wavenumber , soft modes , raman spectroscopy , raman scattering , oscillation (cell signaling) , condensed matter physics , scattering , softening , phase transition , materials science , spectral line , lattice (music) , molecular physics , ferroelectricity , chemistry , optics , physics , dielectric , biochemistry , optoelectronics , astronomy , acoustics , composite material
Systematic Raman scattering experiments were performed on Pb(Mg 1/3 Nb 2/3 )O 3 (PMN) single crystals to resolve the low‐wavenumber dynamics in the crystal. Careful checking of the angular dependence of the Raman spectra indicated that the intense peak around 45 cm −1 , which always smears the low‐wavenumber spectra, stems from the F 2 g mode due to Mg:Nb = 1:1 chemically ordered Fm 3 m region. A proper scattering configuration for eliminating the strong F 2 g mode allowed the observation of the lowest wavenumber soft mode dynamics in PMN. The results revealed the softening of the mode towards T c with underdamped oscillation. The soft mode becomes overdamped in a wide temperature range above T c , suggesting the development of cluster dynamics due to polar nanoregions. It recovers the underdamped oscillation and hardens in the high‐temperature region. Finally, the physical picture of the relaxor phenomenon in PMN is discussed in terms of lattice dynamics by comparison with the typical displacive‐type ferroelectric phase transition. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.