Normal-to-relaxor ferroelectric phase transition and electrical properties in Nb-modified 0.72BiFeO3-0.28BaTiO3 ceramics

Abstract

Perovskite-type 0.72BiFeO3-0.28BaTi1-x Nb x O3 (BF-BTNx) ceramics were fabricated via a conventional oxide-mixed method. The phase transition behaviors, composition-dependent grain size, dielectric, ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties were investigated as a function of Nb content. The temperature dependence of dielectric permittivity showed that thermally driven normal to diffuse ferroelectric transition and Nb-doping induced normal to relaxor ferroelectric transition. Simultaneously, the butterfly shape to sprout shape transition for electric-field-induced strain curves and saturation to slim P-E hysteresis loops transition were associated with the normal-to-relaxor transition. And the low hysteresis strain curves for relaxor BF-BTNx ceramics indicated that the system was a promising candidate for high precision actuation applications. In addition, XRD results revealed that Nb-doping induced a structural transition from rhombohedral phase to pseudo-cubic phase, which may be the origin of normal-to-relaxor ferroelectric phase transition.