The lanthanum modified lead zirconate titanate ferroelectric ceramics, considering La/Zr/Ti ratio of 8/60/40 and vacancies in A or B sites of the perovskite structure, were analyzed by using X-ray diffraction, dielectric response, polarized light microscopy and ferroelectric hysteresis. No remarkable differences were observed between samples with A or B vacancies from the X-ray diffraction patterns and ferroelectric hysteresis loops. However, the dielectric measurements had revealed a significant decrease in the maximum values for the real part of the dielectric permittivity and an enhancement of the relaxor behavior in the systems where A vacancies were considered. On the other hand, the anomalies observed in the temperature dependence of the remanent polarization suggested a frozen out in the dynamic of nanometric polar regions around the same region of temperatures for both samples.

Influence of the a and B Vacancies on the Dielectric and Structural Properties of the PLZT 8/60/40 Ferroelectric Ceramic System. O.García-Zaldívar, A.Peláiz-Barranco, J.D.S.Guerra, M.E.Mendoza, F.Calderón-Piñar, D.A.Hall: Physica B, 2011, 406[8], 1622-6