Low electric-field-induced strain and high energy storage efficiency in (Pb,Ba,La)(Zr,Sn,Ti)O3 antiferroelectric ceramics through regulating the content of La

Abstract

In addition to energy storage density (Wrec) and energy efficiency (ƞ), electrical fatigue characteristic is also an important factor affecting the performance of anti-ferroelectric (AFE) capacitors. The main impacts of electrical fatigue characteristic are strain and thermal shock. The AFE ceramic materials will undergo AFE-FE phase transition, when the applied electric field is high enough. This process is usually accompanied by huge electric-field-induced strain, which results in the fatigue phenomenon during switching cycles. Meanwhile, low ƞ will lead to heat accumulation effect during working cycles. However, researches on these aspects are very limited for AFE capacitors. In this work, the (Pb0.96-1.5xBa0.04Lax)(Zr0.65Sn0.3Ti0.05)O3 (x = 0.02, 0.03, 0.04, 0.05) AFE ceramics with low electric-field-induced strain and high ƞ are obtained by regulating the content of La. The Pb2+ creates vacancies in A-sites crystal structure by introducing La-ions can reduce the strain and difference between AFE-FE (EF) and FE-AFE (EA), thereby improving ƞ simultaneously. As a result, the PBLZST ceramics exhibit a maximum Wrec of 4.44 J cm−3 and a high ƞ of 88.8% under 170 kV cm−1 when La3+ content of x = 0.03. The Wrec and ƞ fluctuate within 4.4% and 2.5% respectively after 5000 working cycles, which demonstrates the excellent anti-fatigue characteristic related to low electric-field-induced strain (0.26%) of the sample. Besides, these ceramics have a discharge energy density (Wdis) value as high as 4.22 J cm−3 under the field 170 kV cm−1, which indicates the amount of energy that can actually be released. Those advantages illuminate the PBLZST ceramics (x = 0.03) are beneficial to the practical application of AFE capacitors.