Phase transition and electric properties of Pb(Zr,Sn,Ti)O₃ antiferroelectric ceramics near the tricritical composition point

Pb(Zr,Sn,Ti)O₃ (PZST) antiferroelectric materials have abundant phase structure, providing fertile ground for applications in energy storage capabilities. Here, we report the phase transition and electrical properties of PZST antiferroelectric ceramics near the tricritical composition point. In this work, we have systematically investigated the mechanisms underlying the phase transition phenomenon of Pb[(Zr_0.7Sn_0.3)_1-xTi_x]O₃ (x = 0.01–0.06) ceramics. All PZST samples undergo a phase transition from tetragonal antiferroelectric, to orthorhombic antiferroelectric, to multi-cell cubic (MCC) state, and finally to paraelectric phase with increasing temperature. At room temperature, the structural shift from the tetragonal antiferroelectric to the orthorhombic antiferroelectric with decreasing Ti content, the modulation period converts from 7.21 to 4.01. Meanwhile, both the forward switching field (E_AF) and the backward switching field (E_FA) show a linear increase as the Ti content decreases, while the difference (ΔE) remains relatively stable. Additionally, the PZST99/1 with orthorhombic antiferroelectric phase exhibits excellent energy storage performance with the recoverable energy density and efficiency (8.72 J/cm³, 69.2 %), while the PZST94/6 with tetragonal antiferroelectric phase exhibits these values (0.51 J/cm³, 19.9 %), respectively. This work can not only enhance the comprehension of the phase transition mechanisms in PZST antiferroelectric materials, but also provides a novel perspective for the compositional design of PZST-based antiferroelectric ceramics.