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Lead-free Ba0.9Sr0.1Ti0.9Sn0.1O3 (BSTSn) ceramic was prepared by the sol–gel method. X-ray diffraction measurement at room temperature reveals the single-phase formation with tetragonal structure refined in the P4mm space group. Raman spectroscopy analysis at room temperature was used to confirm the structure of BSTSn ceramic sintered at 1420 °C during 5 h. The dielectric measurements were examined in the temperature range [−90 – 250 °C] and the frequency range of [100 Hz – 1 MHz]. The maximum dielectric constant was found to be ∼ 5484 (1 kHz) at room temperature. The diffuse phase transition characteristic at 1 kHz was ascribed by the modified Curie-Weiss law. Macroscopic polarization – field (P – E) hysteresis loops recorded at room temperature (RT) confirm the ferroelectric nature of BSTSn ceramic. Impedance spectroscopy analysis of BSTSn sample in the temperature range 300–380 °C reveals the presence of two relaxation contributions originated from grains and grain boundaries. Activation energies of grain and grain boundaries resistances were deduced in order to determine the conduction mechanism of the studied sample.

Polycrystalline lead-free Ba$_{0.85}$Ca$_{0.15}$Zr$_{0.10}$Ti$_{0.90}$O$_3$ (BCZT), BaTi$_{0.89}$Sn$_{0.11}$O$_3$ (BTSn) and 0.4Ba$_{0.85}$Ca$_{0.15}$Zr$_{0.10}$Ti$_{0.90}$O$_3$-0.6BaTi$_{0.89}$Sn$_{0.11}$O$_3$ (0.4BCZT-0.6BTSn) ferroelectric ceramics were prepared via sol gel process and their structural, dielectric and energy storage properties were studied. Pure perovskite structure was confirmed by X ray diffraction analysis. The evolution of energy storage performances with temperature was studied. A Significant recoverable energy storage density of 137.86 mJ/cm$^3$ and high energy-storage efficiency of 86.19% under a moderate electric field of 30 kV/cm were achieved in the composite 0.4BCZT 0.6BTSn ceramic at 353 $^\circ$K. Moreover, excellent temperature stability (70-130 $^\circ$C) of the energy storage efficiency (less than 3%) was achieved.

Strontium (Sr) doped Calcium Copper Titanate Ca1−xSrxCu3Ti4O12 with two values x = 0 and x = 0.05 commonly known as CSCTO ceramics have been obtained by using the semi wet route synthesis method. Rietveld refinement shows that the powders crystallize in the cubic perovskite related structure with Im3 space group. Scanning Electron Micrograph (SEM) analysis shows that the average grain size of ceramics becomes larger when Sr doping is considered. Both DC and AC electrical conductivity are investigated throughly in the temperature and frequency ranges between [373–653 K] and [20 Hz–1MHz], respectively. The values of the average activation energies for CSCTO-0 (x = 0) and CSCTO-5 (x = 0.05) were found to be 612 meV and 576 meV, respectively. In Fact, Sr doping has an effect on the broadening of the impurity band that can lead to a dramatic decrease in the activation conduction energy of CSCTO ceramics. A systematic study of AC electrical conductivity reveals that the predominant conduction mechanism existing in these ceramics is generated by large polaron hopping process. This mechanism has also been identified by the modulus analysis and confirmed by comparing the hopping polaron size with the lattice parameter.

The Ba0.85Ca0.15Zr0.1Ti0.9O3 (BCZT) ceramics were successfully prepared by the sol-gel process and sintered at 1420 °C. The effect of sintering times (2, 4 and 6 h) on structural, microstructural, electric properties, energy storage, and electrocaloric effect was systematically examined. X-ray diffraction (XRD) results show that all the samples crystallize in the pure perovskite structure. The morphotropic phase transition from the tetragonal to the orthorhombic phase (T-O) was identified and confirmed by Rietveld refinement. The BCZT ceramic sintered at 1420 °C for 4 h possesses a good relative density of 98% and exhibits optimal properties with a high dielectric permittivity (er,max) ~16310, a large electrocaloric effect coefficient (ξ) ~ 0.244Kmm/kV and a high energy storage efficiency of 63.65%.

Multiferroic composites with the composition (1 − x) BaTi0.8Sn0.2O3–(x) La0.5Ca0.5MnO3 (x = 0, 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, 0.9 and 1) were prepared by sol–gel techniques. Rietveld refinements of the composites with 0–3 and 3–0 type connectivities exhibit the formation of pure phases and confirm the fraction of the composite samples. It was found that the composites grain size decreases slightly with increasing the La0.5Ca0.5MnO3 content. Magnetic measurements of the composite ceramics exhibit a gradual increase in saturation and remanent magnetization with increasing La0.5Ca0.5MnO3 content. Dielectric data demonstrate that the composite materials show high values of the dielectric constant in comparison with the parent compound BaTi0.8Sn0.2O3 (BTSO). In addition, an attempt is made to measure the magnetoelectric coupling coefficient and to explain the negative permittivity and losses occurring in these materials at a certain frequency and temperature conditions.

International audience; A series of Pb-free ferroelectric materials Ba0.9Sr0.1Ti1-xSnxO3 (BSTS-x) with 0

In the present work, an attempt has been made to study theoretically and experimentally the AC electrical conduction mechanism in disordered semiconducting materials. The key parameter considered in this analysis is the frequency exponent s ( ω , T ) = ( ∂ ln ( σ A C ( ω , T ) ) ∂ ln ( ω ) ) T , where σ AC is the AC electrical conductivity that depends on angular frequency ω and temperature T. In the theoretical part of this work, the effect of the barrier hopping energy, the polaron radius and the characteristic relaxation time is considered. The theoretical models of Quantum Mechanical Tunneling (QMT), Non overlapping Small Polaron Tunneling (NSPT), Overlapping Large Polaron Tunneling (OLPT) and Correlated Barrier Hopping (CBH) are considered to fit experimental data of σ AC in p -CuIn 3 Se 5 (p-CIS135) in the low temperature range up to 96 K. Some important parameters, as the polaron radius, the localization length and the barrier hopping energies, are estimated and their temperature and frequency dependence discussed.

By using the semi-wet synthesis method, lead-free ferroelectric materials Ba0.9Sr0.1Ti1-xSnxO3 with x = 0, 0.02, 0.05, and 0.10 (abbreviated as BSTS) were prepared and their structural, electric and electrocaloric properties were investigated. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns show that the samples calcined at 950 °C have well crystallized into perovskite structure suggesting the substitution of Ti4+ by Sn4+ in BST lattice. With increasing content of Sn, the enhancement of the dielectric permittivity was observed for (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.05) and the ferroelectric transition temperature (TC) was found to shift towards the room temperature (TC = 20 °C for x = 0.10). Direct measurements of the electrocaloric effect (ECE) were performed on all samples by using the high-resolution calorimeter. It is found that Ba0.9Sr0.1Ti0.95Sn0.05O3 exhibits a high ECE temperature change of ΔTEC = 0.188 K at an applied electric field of only 7 kV/cm. Impedance spectrum analysis of all the samples performed in the temperature range of 300–360 °C reveals the existence of two relaxation contributions related to the grain and grain boundaries that are well separated in frequency. Activation energies of conduction and relaxation processes were deduced for both contributions in order to determine the conduction mechanism of the studied compositions.

We investigate the lead free ferroelectric perovskite ceramic, (Ba0.85Ca0.15)(Zr0.1Ti0.9)O3 (BCZT), prepared by sol-gel method. The as-synthesized precursor powder is calcined at 1000 °C for 4 h in order to obtain single-phase perovskite structure. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis at room temperature shows the formation of single-phase compound with a tetragonal structure refined in P4mm space group. The dielectric measurements in a frequency range of [100 Hz-1 MHz] and in a temperature range [35–400 °C] in the ceramic sintered at 1350 °C for 2 h, reveal a high maximum dielectric constant ∼5200 (100 Hz) at 107 °C, which is associated with ferroelectric paraelectric phase transition. The sol-gel method has displayed a very important advantages comparing to the conventional solid-state method. Special emphasis was done to characterize diffuse phase transition (DPT) that occurs close to ∼107 °C. We have shown that the real part of the permittivity close to DPT is well described by Santos–Eiras phenomenological model. Impedance spectroscopy analysis over the frequency range of 100 Hz to 1 MHz illustrated mainly bulk contribution up to 300 °C while grain and grain-boundary effects were present above 300 °C using the impedance spectroscopy technique.

We investigate the relaxation and conduction mechanism of Ba0.90Sr0.10TiO3 (BST) ceramic, synthesized by the solid state reaction method. The dielectric and relaxation properties are analyzed in the temperature range of 380–450 °C with alternative current in the frequency range of 20 Hz-1MHz. Variation of dielectric constant, e′, with temperature shows a normal ferroelectric transition at Tc = 95 °C with a weak degree of diffuseness. The modified Cole-Cole equation is used to describe all contributions to the relaxation mechanism. The frequency exponent m(ω,T) deduced from experimental data of the dielectric loss (e″) as m ( ω , T ) = ( ∂ ln e ″ / ∂ ln ω ) T shows a temperature and frequency dependence. Two conduction process are observed: non-overlapping small-polaron tunneling (NSPT) at low frequencies and overlapping large polaron tunneling (OLPT) at high frequencies. The analysis of Nyquist plots reveals also the presence of two contributions, who which the activation energies have been calculated.

Using conventional solid state synthesis under air, the sample Pb 0.75 K 0.5 Nb 2 O 6 was prepared in a single-phase TTB structure as indicated from X-ray analysis. Impedance spectroscopy analysis of the dielectric properties of Pb 0.75 K 0.5 Nb 2 O 6 ceramic were investigated in the frequency range, 1 Hz–1 MHz and in the temperature duration from room temperature to 550 °C. Impedance and modulus plots were used as tools to analyze the sample behavior as a function of frequency. Cole–Cole plots showed non-Debye relaxation. The nature of variation of the electrical conductivity, and value of activation energy of different temperature regions, suggest that the conduction process is of mixed-type (i.e., ionic polaronic and space charge generated from the oxygen ion vacancies). The structural and dielectric results are compared with three others TTB compounds derived from Pb 0.75 K 0.5 Nb 2 O 6 (PKN) family: Pb 1.85 K 1.15 Li 0.15 Nb 5 O 15 (PKLN), K 3 Li 2 Nb 5 O 15 (KLN) and Pb 1.8 Gd 0.1 K 1.1 Nb 5 O 15 (PGKN).

New compositions of Tetragonal Tungsten Bronze (TTB) ferroelectrics Pb1-xK2xNb5O15 (PKN) with x = 0.1, 0.2, 0.25 and 0.3 were synthesized using the solid state reaction method. Structural and electrical properties were examined as a function of the ratio Pb/K using X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy and dielectric measurements. The dielectric permittivity and the loss tangent of each composition have been measured in a frequency range 10 Hz–1 MH and in a temperatures range 25–600°C. It was shown that the Pb substitution induces the diffuse phase transition.

Substitution of Pb with Li and K in the Pb2KNb5O15 phases leads to a new composition with chemical composition Pb2−x K1+x Li x Nb5O15 which crystallizes with tetragonal tungsten bronze-type structure. Ferroelectric ceramics with different compositions were synthesized using solid-state reaction and complex dielectric permittivity measurements in these compounds were performed in a frequency and temperature range of 20 Hz–1 MHz and from 25 to 550 °C, respectively. Special attention was paid to the diffuse phase transition (DPT) that occurs close to the Curie temperature. The empirical equation proposed by Santos–Eiras for a phenomenological description of the temperature dependence of the dielectric permittivity ( $$\varepsilon_{\text{r}}^{{\prime }}$$ ) peak is used to calculate some characteristic parameters of DPT. From the results, it must be assumed that these compounds show a diffuse phase transition with non-relaxor behavior. A basic phase diagram showing the evolution of T m function of composition x is deduced from this study.

Ferroelectric ceramics Pb2−xK1+xLixNb5O15 (PKLN), with 0 x 1.5 , having the tetragonal tungsten bronze (TTB) structure, were synthesized using a solid-state reaction and characterized by X-ray diffraction. The temperature dependence of dielectric permittivity was measured from 35 to 550 °C in the frequency range from 20 Hz to 1 MHz. These measurements permit us to present the phase diagram of this family and the evolution of the transition temperature T C as function of the chemical composition.

The magnetoconductivity of p-type CuGaTe2, in metallic regime, has been measured at low temperatures in a magnetic field up to 20 T. The experimental data are analyzed in the framework of models that take into account the effect of weak localization and electron–electron interactions. Good agreement of the experimental data with theory is found. From the theoretical fit, both the inelastic and spin–orbit relaxation times are estimated and their dependence on temperature established. La magnetoconductivite du p-CuGaTe2, dans la regime metallique, est mesuree a basses temperatures et a champ magnetique jusqu'a 20 T. Les donnees experimentales sont analysees a partir des modeles qui tiennent compte des effets de faible localisation et des interactions electron–electron. Un bon accord avec la theorie est obtenu. A partir des fits, les temps de relaxation relatifs aux diffusions inelastiques et spin–orbite sont determines et leur dependence en temperature etablies.

Hall coefficient and electrical mobility of electrons are measured in non-degenerate n-type CuInSe2 samples when the temperature varies between 4 and 300 K. The diffusion of electrons by ionized impurity, acoustic phonons and optical polar phonons are dominant in the high temperature regime. Far infrared reflectivity experiments at 300 K on Zn-doped CuInSe2 have been made. By considering the contribution of the plasmons to the complex dielectric function, from the analysis of the phonons spectra, the electron concentration and the carrier mobility are estimated. These values are in good agreement with those obtained from the electrical measurement.

We studied the structural and dielectric properties of new Tetragonal Tungsten Bronze (TTB) ceramics Pb 1.85 K 1.15 Li 0.15 Nb 5 O 15 that was synthesized by solid-state reaction. We pay a special attention to the diffuse phase transition (DPT) that occurs close to 425 °C. Using dielectric measurements in a frequency range of 10 Hz–1 MHz and in the temperature range 30–560 °C, we have shown that the real permittivity close to DPT is well described by Santos-Eiras phenomenological model. Space-charge polarization, relaxation phenomena and free charges conductivity have been analyzed using dielectric spectroscopy impedance and modulus characterization. Cole-Cole plots show a non-Debye (polydispersive) type relaxation. In paraelectric phase the Arrhenius activation energy was determined as E τ = 0.72 eV. We demonstrated that frequency dependence of ac conductivity at different temperatures obeys the Jonscher's universal law: σ ac = σ dc + A( ω ) n .

Ba1-xMgx(Ti0.9Zr0.1)O3 (x = 0.01 and 0.02) ceramics were prepared using the conventional solid state reaction. Rietveld refinement performed on X-ray diffraction patterns indicates that the samples are tetragonal crystal structure with P4mm space group. By increasing Mg content from 1 to 2% the unit cell volume decreased. Likewise, the grains size is greatly reduced from 10 μm to 4 μm. The temperature dependence of dielectric constants at different frequencies exhibited typical relaxor ferroelectric characteristic, with sensitive dependence in frequency and temperature for ac conductivity. The obtained activation energy values were correlated to the proposed conduction mechanisms.