Relaxor ferroelectrics, such as Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3 (PMN) or (Pb·88La ·12)(Zr·65Ti·35)O3 (PLZT), show diffuse ferroelectric transition which depends upon frequency of the a.c. field. In spite of their wide use in various applications details of their atomic structure and the mechanism of relaxor ferroelectric transition are not sufficiently understood. While their crystallographic structure is cubic perovskite, ABO3, their thermal factors (apparent amplitude of thermal vibration) is quite large, suggesting local displacive disorder due to heterovalent ion mixing. Electron microscopy suggests nano-scale structural as well as chemical inhomogeneity.We have studied the atomic structure of these solids by pulsed neutron scattering using the atomic pair-distribution analysis. The measurements were made at the Intense Pulsed Neutron Source (IPNS) of Argonne National Laboratory. Pulsed neutrons are produced by a pulsed proton beam accelerated to 750 MeV hitting a uranium target at a rate of 30 Hz. Even after moderation by a liquid methane moderator high flux of epithermal neutrons with energies ranging up to few eV’s remain.
