Ferroelectric Phase Transition and Relaxor-Like Behavior of Loparite-(Ce)

Results of dielectric and Raman spectroscopic studies of single crystals of loparite-(Ce), a mineral of the perovskite family, are presented. A ferroelectric phase transition in the vicinity of 157 K and relaxation contribution into the lattice dynamics of loparite-(Ce) were investigated. Temperature dependence of relaxation time in the range 150-400 K was obtained from the quasi-elastic light scattering measurements. This temperature dependence was found to be well described by the Arrhenius law. As analysis showed, the relaxation processes observed in our experiments were could be caused by the partial disordering of the crystal lattice.