Local structure around Fe ions on multiferroic Pb(Fe1/2Nb1/2)O3 ceramics probed by x-ray absorption spectroscopy

Abstract

Local structure around Fe ions on Pb(Fe1/2Nb1/2)O3 ceramics was probed by x-ray absorption spectroscopy in order to settle the controversies about its structure. It is observed that the shell structure around Fe atoms exhibits a monoclinic local symmetry at 130 and 230 K, tetragonal local symmetry at room temperature, and cubic local symmetry at 410 K. Independently of the coordination, temperature, or symmetry, Fe-O mean bond-length does not vary significantly.