Investigation of dielectric properties for structurally modified barium titanate near ferro-paraelectric phase transition

Abstract

Barium Titanate has been extensively studied for a long time as a model ferroelectric material. The Ferro-Paraelectric phase transition of this material is one of the complex problems in Solid-state Physics. This has attracted significant research attention over the past few decades, primarily because of their intriguing and poorly understood physical properties. Bearing in mind such an interest of investigation, Nickel has been doped into the A-site of Barium Titanate in this work. With the incorporation of this doping element, the dielectric properties of this material have been modified noticeably. The various compositions with this dopant have provided a wider platform to understand the versatility of the nature of transitions. The initial structural analysis has been performed using XRD, Raman, and FTIR spectroscopy to confirm the phase. Furthermore, DRS spectroscopy reveals the modification at the optical band structure. The morphological study has been done using scanning electron microscopy. With these understandings, the temperature and frequency-dependent Dielectric response has been recorded to understand the peculiarities of ferro-paraelectric phase transition. While the undoped sample shows a sharp feature, doping introduces disorder in the lattice, leading to a more diffuse transition. The evaluation of the AC conductivity reflects the evolution of different electrical transport mechanisms near the same. The overall study gives a brief insight into the intricacies of dielectric properties for structurally modified Barium Titanate near ferro-paraelectric phase transition.