Ferroelectricity in zinc cadmium telluride

Abstract

Ferroelectricity in ${\mathrm{Zn}}_{\mathrm{x}}$ ${\mathrm{Cd}}_{1\mathrm{-}\mathrm{x}}$Te was found from the temperature variation of the dielectric constant, and from the hysteresis loop. The Zn contents varied from 4% to 45%. No ferroelectricity was found in pure CdTe but all samples containing Zn had a second-order ferroelectric transition. The transition temperature varied from 90 to 245 °C. The polarization was in a 〈111〉 direction. While no existing model matches the rapid rise of the Curie constant for 0<x<0.04, there is some evidence to support an order-disorder transition.