Nadejda Horchidan

High-field dielectric properties and Raman spectroscopic investigation of the ferroelectric-to-relaxor crossover in BaSnxTi1−xO3 ceramics

BaSnxTi1−xO3 solid solutions with compositions in the range x = 0–0.20 were studied by combining analysis of the field-induced dielectric and ferroelectric properties with Raman spectroscopic investigations. By combining techniques, the detection of specific features related to the ferroelectric-to-relaxor crossover with increasing Sn content is possible. Detailed tunability analysis of the x = 0.05 composition indicated that multiple components contribute to the dc-field induced permittivity response; these components are active in different temperature and field ranges and could be assigned to a few polarization mechanisms. First order reversal curves (FORC) for the material clearly show a transition from ferroelectric-to-relaxor behavior with increasing x, confirming the conclusions from the Raman and dielectric studies. This was evidenced by the shift of the FORC distribution over coercivities toward zero field values. Raman measurements allow the identification of the separate phases with varying Sn ...

Temperature dependence of tunability of Ba(SnxTi1−x)O3 ceramics

The electric field dependence of the dielectric constant (dc-tunability) as a function of temperature for a few compositions of Ba(Sn,Ti)O3 ceramics was investigated. Dense and homogeneous BaSnxTi1−xO3 ceramics (ferroelectric for x = 0.05 and x = 0.10, relaxor for x = 0.15 and 0.20) with high dielectric constant and low dielectric losses were prepared by solid state reaction. Their dc-tunability characteristics were investigated at a few temperatures from 20–120 °C, including the Curie range. The tunability data were discussed in terms of the Johnson model completed with a Langevin term that describes the “extrinsic” contribution to the nonlinear ɛ(E) dependences.

Investigation of the ferroelectric–relaxor crossover in Ce-doped BaTiO3 ceramics by impedance spectroscopy and Raman study

BaCe x Ti1− x O3 (x = 0.06, 0.10, and 0.20) solid solutions were prepared via conventional the solid-state reaction and sintered at 1500°C for 4 h, resulting in dense single phase ceramics with homogeneous microstructures. The electric field dependence of permittivity of the BaCe x Ti1− x O3 ceramics was investigated in detail, together with the ferroelectric–paraelectric phase transition features. A transformation from normal to relaxor ferroelectrics was observed by increasing the Ce concentration. For low-Ce content, a substitution of Ce on both A and B site positions was proposed from the dielectric study and confirmed by Raman analysis.

BaTiO3–ferrite composites with magnetocapacitance and hard/soft magnetic properties

BaTiO3–ferrite multiphase composites were prepared starting from di-phase mixtures of α-Fe2O3 and BaTiO3 powders. During the sintering step, the formation of small amounts of secondary phases with multifunctional character as BaFe12O19 or Ba12Ti28Fe15O84 was promoted. The resulting multiphase ceramic compounds show interesting dielectric, magnetic and small magnetocapacitance effect at low temperature. The coexistence of different magnetic phases with contrasting coercivities (hard/soft) was detected by the presence of ‘wasp-waisted’ M(H) hysteresis loops and first-order reversal curve analysis. The present approach demonstrates that active materials can be realised by controlling in situ reactions at the interfaces in ferroelectric–magnetic oxide composites.

Improvement of impedance spectroscopy methods: resonance analysis of samples

An impedance spectroscopy method, using an Agilent E4991A RF Impedance/Material Analyzer, was employed for the investigation of radiofrequency and microwave dielectric characteristics for some ceramic materials with high dielectric permittivity. Experimental observations recorded single, double and even triple resonances in the permittivity spectra, while for the selected samples significantly different values of permittivity from the ones found in existing literature were directly measured and observed in the frequency range of 100 MHz–1 GHz. The specified material analyzer is designed to work within certain permittivity-frequency domains; working outside these limits leads to significant errors when carrying out direct measurements of permittivity. Having observed that the resonance measurements are not associated with the intrinsic material properties but with the sample resonances, we proposed a dielectric resonance cavity model for sample purposes and we determined the dielectric permittivity at different resonance frequencies. A scaling procedure, based on the computed values of permittivity, was applied in order to correct the directly measured permittivity spectra where the frequency was outside the resonance domains. The corrected data are in good agreement with those measured using other techniques and suggest that the proposed procedure extends the spectroscopy method currently used for high permittivity measurements. The sources of error for the proposed method were investigated.