Spontaneous birefringence of flux grown single crystals of the ferroelectric/antiferromagnetic perovskite PbFe1/2Ta1/2O3(PFT)

Abstract
The spontaneous birefringence, Δns, of the rhombohedral ferroelectric phase of PFT has been measured between 20K and the hitherto unknown first order transition at 210K (heating)/205K (cooling). Above that transition a weakly birefringent phase is evinced, which undergoes a second order transition to cubic at ∼ 248K. Pronounced photoconductivity occurs below room temperature. A strong reversible temperature shift (-5. 7 cm-1K-1) of the absorption edge obscures the material upon heating.