SYNCHROTRON TECHNIQUES APPLIED TO FERROELECTRICS: SOME REPRESENTATIVE CASES

ABSTRACT A panoramic view of synchrotron radiation techniques applied to ferroelectric materials is given. Powder diffraction is applied to analyze the cubic-symmetry break-down in PbFe0.5Nb0.5O3. Slight peaks' splitting reveals the considered phase to be rhombohedral. Grazing incidence scattering is used in a comparative study of PbTiO3 nano-dots on SrTiO3 substrate and a Pt layer. Phase identification, texture assessment and crystallite size characterization are performed. The Anaelu software for two-dimensional diffraction analysis is presented. Local ordering in multiferroic Bi6Ti3Fe2O18 is determined by means of extended x-ray absorption fine structure. The iron cations' tendency to occupy the centered perovskite layer of the unit cell is established.