Variations of strain and light scattering accompanying domain switching in lead lanthanum zirconate titanate ceramics

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Abstract
Experimental results relating mechanical strain and visible‐light scattering to ferroelectric domain switching as the electric displacement of lead lanthanum zirconate titanate (PLZT) 7/65/35 is switched through the hysteresis loop are presented. Both strain and light scattering measurements were made before and after storing a photoinduced space‐charge field ESC in first a radially constrained and then an unconstrained PLZT disc. The results of these measurements tend to clarify the role of ESC in photoferroelectric information storage. Specifically, ESC is nonvolatile and cannot be reoriented by an externally applied switching field alone. The thresholds for domain switching in the bulk of the PLZT are lowered in the direction of ESC, but they are increased to the extent of preventing some domain switching antiparallel to ESC.