• Wen Wang
  • Yangbin Ma
  • Ruiyi Jing
  • Wenjing Shi
  • Vladimir Shur
  • Xiaoyong Wei
  • Li Jin
Domain wall motion in ferroelectrics, closely related to electric characteristics and amenable to tuning through doping, remains incompletely understood, particularly with regard to the pinning defect in the (Ba0.85Ca0.15)(Zr0.1Ti0.9)O3 (BCZT) system, which has attracted significant interest. Here, we investigate the defect dipole-assisted pinning effect in Mn-substituted BCZT (abbreviated as BCZT-xMn) ceramics with Mn concentrations ranging from x = 0 to 0.04. As x increases, we observe a gradual decrease in the maximum permittivity, accompanied by a leftward shift in temperature, leading to a diffuse phase transition. Analysis of the dielectric spectrum reveals a consistent trend in the activation energy within a specific concentration range, suggesting the incorporation of oxygen vacancies to maintain electric neutrality. The resulting oxygen vacancies, combined with Mn dopants, form defect dipoles Mn4++e′−
−Mn4++e′, attaining sufficient concentration at x = 0.02, and enabling precise establishment of the pinning effect. This phenomenon is extensively documented by the observation of pinched polarization-electric field loops and double current peaks in the current-electric field curves, visually corroborated by experimental data and a 3D phase-field simulation model. Consequently, this study not only elucidates the concentration-driven pinning effect in the BCZT system but also provides valuable insights into doping effects in other lead-free ferroelectrics.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)33324-33332
Number of pages9
JournalCeramics International
Volume49
Issue number20
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Oct 2023

    WoS ResearchAreas Categories

  • Materials Science, Ceramics

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Materials Chemistry
  • Surfaces, Coatings and Films
  • Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
  • Ceramics and Composites
  • Process Chemistry and Technology

ID: 44704171