Dielectric and thermal properties, expansion, and high-temperature plastic deformation of Cd4Na(VO4)3
Cd4Na(VO4)3 has been reported as crystallizing in space group Pn21 a with all atoms displaced no more than 1/4 Å, from the corresponding positions in prototypic Pnma. Such an atomic arrangement is expected to be ferroelectric. Large optical-quality crystals, with no phase transition between 300 K and the melting point at 1165 K, have been grown. The piezoelectric d 22 coefficient is less than 0.1 pCN−1 and second-harmonic generation is undetectable at a sensitivity level capable of measuring a signal less than 0.001 that produced by quartz. The crystal is hence centrosymmetric at the 99% confidence level. The lattice constants at 294 K are a = 9.8189(3), b = 7.0298(2), c = 5.3610(1) Å, with linear thermal expansion coefficients of α(a) = 14.4, α(b) = 10.8, α(c) = 21.0 × 10−6 K −1 between 294 and 973 K. Plastic deformation sets in above 1060 K with an accompanying rapid rise both in dielectric permittivity and conductance.