Hierarchical Domain Structures in Relaxor 24Pb(In1/2Nb1/2)O3–46Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3–30PbTiO3 near a Morphotropic Phase Boundary Composition Grown by Bridgman Method

The domain structures of the lead-based relaxor ferroelectric solid solution single crystal, 24Pb(In1/2Nb1/2)O3 (PIN)–46Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3 (PMN)–30PbTiO3 (PT), near a morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) composition grown by the Bridgeman method were studied by polarized light microscopy (PLM), piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The change in domain structures with poling from rhombohedral spindlelike domains of 3–5 µm width to orthorhombic domains of ~20 µm width with rectangular cells with a size of 3–5 µm, characterized with an antiferroelectic double hysteresis loop in the electric field-induced strain behavior, was found. Such domain structures were microscopically identified from SEM images as small circular tetragonal defects, planar monoclinic defects such as edge and screw dislocations with Burgers vector b along cub and/or cub directions and their agglomerate rectangular orthorhombic defects, also characterized by PFM. Hierarchical domain structures are discussed from the viewpoints of domain structures due to defects such as edge and screw dislocations originating in the chemical order region (COR) and the piezoelectric responses and dielectric properties.