Basic study of relaxors: Materials for high technological devices

Ferroelectric relaxors belong to a subgroup of ferroelectric materials. Relaxors are characterised by unique dielectric, polarization, electromechanical and electro-optical properties. These extraordinary properties make them suitable for high technological electronic devices such as sensors, actuators, electro or elasto-optic and photorefractive elements. Understanding the origin of these properties and physical background is a key for useful applications. In this paper we show the investigation of the nature of the relaxor ground state which is one of the unresolved enigmas of relaxors. We will interpret the high-resolution calorimetric measurements of the electric field induced ferroelectric phase transition of the ferroelectric relaxor Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3 single crystal oriented in the [110] direction.