Pyroelectric and ferroelectric properties in the PZT-Pb(Zn1/3Nb2/3)O3 system

Sintering of rhombohedral ferroelectric PZT-Pb(Zn1/3Nb2/3)O3 ceramics with compositions near PbZrO3 and their pyroelectric properties have been investigated for applications to sensors. The phase diagram for the PbTiO3-PbZrO3-Pb(Zn1/3Nb2/3)O3 solid solutions with compositions close to PbZrO3 has been determined by X-ray and pyroelectric measurements. A small, but sharp change of the spontaneous polarization occurred at the FR(LT)—FR(HT) phase transition from just below room temperature to above in 0.95Pb(Zr0.97Ti0.03)O3−0.05Pb(Zn1/3Nb2/3)O3, thus giving a large pyroelectric coefficient of 289 × 10−9C/cm2 K at room temperature.