Field-Induced Phase Transition in Antiferroelectric Creamics of (Pb,La)(Zr,Sn,Ti)O-3

External field-induced phase transition in the lanthanum-doped lead zirconate titanate stannate antiferroelectric ceramics near morphotropic phase boundary were studied as a function of electric field and temperature. Upon application of an electric field to the antiferroelectric ceramics that was larger than the field of EAEF-FE, the sample underwent a phase transform from the antiferroelectric to ferroelectric phase, associated with an abrupt change in macroscopic properties. The polarization and longitudinal strain increased rapidly from zero to about 30 mu C/cm(2) and zero to about 0.35%, respectively. The dielectric constant decreased rapidly from 610 to about 320. At some thermal regions, the induced ferroelectric phase can remain metastable state when the electric field is removed. The metastable ferroelectric phase was unstable, which recovered to antiferroelectric phase with increasing temperature. Large charge release from remnant polarization of metastable ferroelectric phase was observed.