Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference:	GR/R77902/01
Title:	Structure, bonding and properties of novel piezoactive perovskite ferroelectric relaxors
Principal Investigator:	Glazer, Professor AM
Other Investigators:
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:	Grenoble High MAG FLD Lab University of Leeds
Department:	Oxford Physics
Organisation:	University of Oxford
Scheme:	Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts:	01 April 2002	Ends:	30 June 2005	Value (£):	238,743
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:	Chemical Structure
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:	Electronics No relevance to Underpinning Sectors
Related Grants:	GR/R77919/01
Panel History:
Summary on Grant Application Form
This programme concerns studies of the structure and bonding in two novel perovskite relaxor series, lead magnesium niobate-lead titanate (PMN-PT) and sodium potassium bismuth titanate (NKBT). These materials are united by exhibiting ferroelectric relaxor behaviour which is associated with phase transitions involving large structural and symmetry changes and unusual local structures, particularly compositional and positional disorder. Both series are of considerable interest as new piezoelectrics with PMN-PT showing giant piezoactivity and NKBT offering lead-free material for biological piezoapplications. The overall aims of the programme are; 1) To combine studies of average and local crystal structure and optical properties as a function of both pressure and temperature to advance the understanding of the structural origins of ferroelectric relaxor behaviour in the PMN-PT and NKBT systems; 2) To understand from the basis of average and local structure, how the addition of PT to PMN produces the crossover from relaxor to normal ferroelectric behaviour. 3) To determine the nature of the morphotropic phase boundaries in the B-site substituted perovskite series PMN-PT and the Asite substituted series NKBT. 4) To understand the occurrence and formation of the morphotropic phase boundaries s in terms of the local structure in both cases; 5) To understand the structural origin of the high piezoactivity exhibited by the PMN-PT series and establish the composition producing enhanced piezoactivity in NKBT; 5) To explore the role of applied pressure as a determinant of ferroelectric relaxor behaviour.
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Organisation Website:	http://www.ox.ac.uk