Structural Phase Transitions in Loparite‐(ce): Evidences from Raman Light Scattering

Raman spectroscopic studies of loparite‐(Ce), a mineral of the perovskite family, are presented. Polarized Raman spectra were obtained in the temperature range of 50–300 K. As analysis of the behavior of Raman modes showed, the temperature dependences of wavenumber, damping and intensity of the optical modes exhibited anomalies near 220 and 150 K. Softening of the low‐wavenumber modes observed in the vicinity of 150 K is interpreted as an evidence of a ferroelectric phase transition. An anisotropic quasielastic light scattering in the low‐wavenumber region of the Raman spectra was observed from 300 to 150 K. As the data suggest, loparite‐(Ce) has two structural phase transitions, one of which (at 150 K) is a ferroelectric transition of the order–disorder type. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.