Enhanced energy storage properties promoted by the synergistic effects of aging effects and relaxor behavior in Ce–Mn co-doped Sr0.4Ba0.6Nb2O6 ferroelectric ceramics

Abstract

In this work, Ce–Mn co-doped Sr0.4Ba0.6Nb2O6 ferroelectric ceramics were prepared by the conventional solid state reaction method. Aging effects induced by acceptor doping and relaxor behavior induced by donor doping were achieved simultaneously in Sr0.4-3x/2Ba0.6Cex(Nb0.96Mn0.04)2O6 (SBN40–4Mn-xCe) ceramics. The results show that the doping of Ce ions enters into the lattice of SBN and substitute the Sr ions, which give rise to the cell volume decreasing. The diffuseness fitting results suggest that all the co-doped samples own the relaxor characteristic. The polarization electric (P-E) loops of aged SBN40–4Mn-xCe ceramics presents constricted tendency and slimmer shape at the mean time. As a result, the Pmax-Pr values of the aged samples are higher than that of unaged samples and get an enhanced energy storage performance, which are benefited from the synergistic effects of aging effects and relaxor behavior. The composition of x = 0.04 obtained the maximum Wrec with 0.90 J/cm3 and η with 89 % after aging. Therefore, the current work may provide some guidance for improving the energy storage performance from the perspective of changing the shape of P-E loop by inducing aging behavior and relaxor behavior simultaneously.