Terahertz dielectric response of ferroelectric Ba(x)Sr(1-x)TiO3 thin films

Terahertz time-domain spectroscopy has been used to investigate the dielectric and optical properties of ferroelectric Ba(x)Sr(1-x)TiO(3) thin films for nominal x-values of 0.4, 0.6, and 0.8 in the frequency range of 0.3 to 2.5 THz. The ferroelectric thin films were deposited at approximately 700 nm thickness on [001] MgO substrate by pulsed laser deposition. The measured complex dielectric and optical constants were compared with the Cole-Cole relaxation model. The results show that the Cole-Cole relaxation model fits well with the data throughout the frequency range and the dielectric relaxation behavior of ferroelectric Ba(x)Sr(1-x)TiO(3) thin films varies with the films compositions. Among the compositions of Ba(x)Sr(1-x)TiO(3) films with different Ba/Sr ratios, Ba(0.6)Sr(0.4)TiO(3) has the highest dielectric constants and the shortest dielectric relaxation time.     

Diffuse phase transitions in the (PbxBa1-x)TiO3 system

Diffuse phase transitions were observed in the solid solution (PbxBa1-x)TiO3. By measuring the diffuseness of the paraelectric to ferroelectric transition as a function of composition in the solid solution (PbxBa1-x)TiO3 the average size of the ferroelectric nuclei may be determined. Dielectric constant versus temperature curves were measured over the temperature range where the ferroelectric transition occurs. From these curves, the diffuseness of the transition was determined. The size of the microregions (Kanzig regions), which are responsible for the diffuse behaviour, was estimated to be between 2.5 and 4.0 nm. These microregions are the ferroelectric nuclei and hence this allows the measurement of the ferroelectric nuclei size. © 1998 Kluwer Academic Publishers     

Aliovalent-ion and magnetic field induced phase transition in multiferroic biFe(1-x)Ti(x)O3 system

Multiferroic compounds with general formula BiFe(1-x)Ti(x)O3 (x = 0.1, 0.2, 0.3 and 0.35) have been synthesized by conventional solid state reaction method. The effect of Ti substitution on ferroelectric and magnetic properties is studied. From X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, a rhombohedral to orthorhombic phase transition for x > 0.3 was observed. From SQUID measurements, a magnetic field induced phase transition has been observed in the BiFe(1-x)T(x)O3 system for x = 0.3. An anomaly in dielectric constant and dielectric loss in the vicinity of antiferromagnetic Néel temperature (T(N)) and a small enhancement in magnetization have been observed. Magnetization measurements above room temperature showed no systematic variation in antiferromagnetic Néel temperatures on Ti substitution. Further it is seen that this system shows the coupling between electric and magnetic dipoles exhibiting magnetoelectric (ME) effect at room temperature and possess high dielectric constant.     

Microwave dielectric properties of Ba(Mg1/3Ta(2−2x)/3Wx/3Tix/3)O3 ceramics

The microwave dielectric properties of ceramics based on Ba(Mg_1/3Ta_(2−2x)/3W_x/3Ti_x/3)O₃ is investigated as a function of x. The densification as well as dielectric properties deteriorate with increase in the substitution levels of (Ti_1/3W_1/3)^3.33+ at (Ta_2/3)^3.33+ site in Ba(Mg_1/3Ta_2/3)O₃. The τ_f is approaching zero between x = 0.1 and 0.15 in Ba(Mg_1/3Ta_(2−2x)/3W_x/3Ti_x/3)O₃ where quality factor is reasonably good (Q_u × f = 80,000–90,000 GHz). The Ba(Mg_1/3Ta_(2−2x)/3W_x/3Ti_x/3)O₃ with x = 1.0 has ɛ_r = 15.4, τ_f = −25.1 ppm/°C, Q_u × f = 35,400 GHz.     

Perovskite phase stabilization and dielectric properties of Pb(Zn1/3Ta2/3)O3–BaTiO3 ceramics

The phase structure and dielectric properties of (1 − x)Pb(Zn_1/3Ta_2/3)O₃–xBaTiO₃ (x = 0.00–0.40) ceramics were investigated. Pure perovskite is obtained when x ≥ 0.24. With increasing BT content, the diffuse phase transition and frequency dissipation of the dielectric constant increase and the dielectric maxima temperature decreases. It is related to the existing of Ba(Zn_1/3Ta_2/3)O₃ paraelectric microregions and the incomplete solid solution reaction between Pb(Zn_1/3Ta_2/3)O₃ and BaTiO₃.     

Sinterability improvement of Ba(Mg1/3Ta2/3)O3 dielectric ceramics

The sinterability of Ba(Mg_1/3Ta_2/3)O₃ ceramics synthesized by solid-state-reaction methods was investigated. The poor sinterability of the present ceramics was found to be primarily due to the presence of satellite secondary phases of Ba₅Ta₄O₁₅ and Ba₄Ta₂O₉, and the nearly complete densification of Ba(Mg_1/3Ta_2/3)O₃ ceramics was accomplished successfully by controlling the phase constitution of the calcined powders. For this purpose, enhanced ball-milling processes were found to be extremely effective. Moreover, excellent microwave dielectric characteristics (_r = 24.5–24.7, Q = 26 000 at 9.8 GHz, and _f = 1.7 p.p.m. C^–1) were attained in the dense Ba(Mg_1/3Ta_2/3)O₃ ceramics without additives.     

Structural order in Ba(Zn1/3Ta2/3)O3, Ba(Zn1/3Nb2/3)O3 and Ba(Mg1/3Ta2/3)O3 microwave dielectric ceramics

The process and nature of structural ordering and the factors that influence them have been investigated in the microwave dielectric perovskites, barium zinc tantalate (BZT), barium zinc niobate (BZN), and barium magnesium tantalate (BMT), sintered at various temperatures. The samples were characterized mainly by X-ray powder diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. The results show that short-range 1 : 1 B-site order features strongly in the early stages of ordering in BZT and BZN, but it is extremely rare in BMT, for which most grains commence with 1 : 2 order. As sintering progresses, 1 : 1 order is replaced by 1 : 2 long-range order in BZT and by disorder in BZN. Orientational variants of the ordered domains within grains occur in similar numbers when order is fine-scale, but their distribution is less homogeneous in well-ordered samples. Local inhomogeneities in the degree of order within grains, which will affect dielectric properties, correlate with both residual non-stoichiometry and the presence of dislocations. Incompletely reacted starting materials which may persist to late stages of sintering can also strongly influence order. Anomalously large ordered domains at grain boundaries are attributed to grain-boundary migration accompanied by enhanced diffusion. The results indicate that with starting materials that are well-mixed and homogeneous at the nanoscale, tailoring of physical properties should be possible by controlling the type and degree of order through chemical composition. This revised version was published online in November 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Deposition and dielectric properties of (Al2O3) x (TiO2)1−x thin films

The motivation for this study was to obtain an alloy system (Al₂O₃) _x (TiO₂)_1?x , that is thermodynamically stable, in direct contact with Si and possessing a high dielectric constant. In the present study, (Al₂O₃) _x (TiO)_1?x films were investigated. They were prepared by spin coating from a sol solution, with additional thermal annealing. The chemical composition and stoichiometry of the films was studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. For the electrical characteristics, MIS capacitors were fabricated. The determined relative dielectric constants were larger than the reported values for pure Al₂O₃, due to the presence of TiO₂.     

Fast response varifocal lenses using KTa(1-x)Nb(x)O3 crystals and a simulation method with electrostrictive calculations

We fabricated cylindrical varifocal lenses with fast responses by using the strong Kerr effect of KTa(1-x)Nb(x)O(3) (KTN) single crystals. We observed focus shifts of up to 87 mm with the assistance of a 250 mm focal length lens, which corresponds to a focus shift from infinity to 720 mm by the KTN lens itself. The response time was as fast as 1 μs. We also present a simulation method for calculating refractive index distributions in KTN single crystals, which is essential when designing the lens. The method is characterized by the strain contribution, which has not conventionally been typical of electro-optic simulations. We used this method to explain the refractive index modulations that are characteristic of the varifocal lenses.     

Optical constants of V(1-x)W(x)O(2) Films

The spectral complex optical constants in the visible and the near-infrared region of VO(2) and V(1-x)W(x)O(2) films deposited on glass substrates were determined from observed reflectance and transmittance spectra for which the least-squares method was used. In the metallic phase, the optical properties were characterized by the Drude model in wavelength regions longer than 750 nm.     

离子辅助蒸发(1-x)TiO2-(x)Ta2O5薄膜及其光学性能研究

采用离子辅助蒸发的方法，以不同配比的Ta2O5和TiO2混合物为初始膜料在K9玻璃上制备了TiO2-Ta2O5混合薄膜，并对其透射性能和光学常数进行研究。实验结果表明，薄膜在可见光范围内的平均透射率在82％以上，并随着Ta2O5含量的增加而增加；薄膜的折射率在1．80～2．07范围内变化（550nm）。对同-Ta2O5含量的薄膜来说，退火后TiO2薄膜和80TiO2—20Ta2O5薄膜的折射率较退火前提高，而90TiO2-10Ta2O5薄膜的折射率较退火前降低。     

Perovskite phase developments in Pb[(Mg,Zn)1/3Ta2/3]O3 system and dielectric characteristics

Stabilization of a perovskite structure was attempted by replacing Mg for Zn in Pb(Zn_1/3Ta_2/3)O₃. System powders were prepared using a B-site precursor method by reacting PbO with separately-prepared precursor compositions. Effects of the substituent Mg concentration on perovskite phase developments and subsequent changes in dielectric properties were investigated, as a function of measurement frequency. Phase transition modes reflected in the dielectric constant spectra were analyzed in terms of diffuseness exponent and degree of diffuseness. Internal microstructures of the ceramics were examined, and correlations with perovskite phase contents and dielectric properties are discussed.     

The dielectric properties of Ba(0.6)Sr(0.4)Cr(x)Ti(1-x)O(3) thin films prepared by pulsed laser deposition.

Ba(0.6)Sr(0.4)Cr(x)Ti(1-x)O(3) (BSCT) films were prepared by pulsed laser deposition with the value of x varying from 0 mol% to 2.0 mol%. X-ray diffraction analysis detected an increase in the lattice parameters, which could be due to the characteristics of the growth process. Dielectric properties and tunability of the BSCT films were measured. The dissipation factors of the films decreased with increasing Cr-concentration. The highest figure of merit (FOM) value of 33.3 was obtained in 1.0 mol%-doped BSCT film. As a result, the effect of Cr doping is positive.     

Conduction intersubband transitions at normal incidence in Si(1-x)Ge(x) quantum well devices

We show theoretically that it is possible to design SiGe-based quantum well structures in which conduction intersubband transitions are induced by normal incidence infrared radiation. A sp(3)d(5)s(*) tight binding model has been adopted to evaluate the electronic states and optical transitions between lowest conduction confined states of a superlattice composed of one pure Ge quantum well separated by SiGe alloys, grown along the [001] direction. We find that significant optical coupling between confined states in the Ge wells is achieved at normal incidence radiation by the off-diagonal elements of the mass tensor. The minimum energy Ge conduction valleys are, in fact, tilted with respect to the [001] growth axis. For comparison we show that no such coupling can be realized for the conduction states confined in a similar structure composed by Si quantum wells because the ellipsoids of the lowest conduction valleys are oriented along the growth direction.     

Effect of nickel on microwave dielectric properties of Ba(Mg1/3Ta2/3)O3

The dielectric and physical properties of the complex perovskite Ba(Mg_1/3Ta_2/3)O₃ system in which magnesium was substituted for nickel from 0.03–0.67 mol%, were investigated in the temperature range 20–110C, and the frequency range 10.5–14.5 GHz. As the nickel content was increased, the dielectric constant, the degree of ordering, and the unloaded Q decreased. The temperature dependence of the dielectric constant and the temperature coefficient of resonant frequency of the specimens annealed at 1500C for 20 h were found to be greater than those of the specimens sintered at 1650C for 2 h. These results are due to the increase in the density, the increase in grain size, and the lattice distortion.     

Temperature phase-matching properties for harmonic generation in GdCa4O(BO3)3 and Gd(x)Y(1-x)Ca4O(BO3)3

GdCa4O(BO3)3 has been found to have phase-matching points where the temperature variations of the phase-matching angles become zero for type-1 sum-frequency generation in the zx plane. We also found that the temperature sensitivities of the phase-matching conditions in the zx plane are different along the phi = 0 degrees and phi = 180 degrees directions in this material. In addition, the thermo-optic dispersion formula of this material that reproduces the temperature phase-matching properties of GdCa4O(BO3)3 and Gd(x)Y(1-x)Ca4O(BO3)3 is presented.     

Composition dependence of magnetocaloric effect in Pr0.6Ca0.4Mn(1-x)Cr(x)O3 (x = 0.02-0.08)

We report the effect of varying Cr content on magnetic and magnetocaloric properties of Pr0.6Ca0.4Mn(1-x)Cr(x)O3 samples (x = 0, 0.02, 0.04, 0.06 and 0.08). While the parent compound (x = 0) is a charge ordered and antiferromagnetic insulator, Cr doped compounds are ferromagnetic metals with nearly same Curie temperature (T(c) approximately 140 K). We find unusual field-induced meta-magnetic transition above T(c) in x = 0.02 and 0.04 which is absent in x = 0.06 and 0.08. It is suggested that the paramagnetic phase in these compounds is inhomogeneous with coexistence of nano-size ferromagnetic clusters and short range charge ordered clusters. Field induced growth of ferromagnetic nano-clusters and destruction of short-range charge ordering leads to the observed metamagnetic transition, which results in large magnetic entropy change of -deltaS(M) = 5.043, 6, 5.509 and 4.375 J/kg K under deltaH = 5 T, for x = 0.02, 0.04, 0.06 and 0.08, respectively. In addition, large relative cooling power (RCP) found in these materials (327.384, 286.36, 272.22 and 279.936 J/kg) makes it interesting for practical applications. Our study suggests that creation of ferromagnetic nano-clusters in the paramagnetic phase by Mn-site doping in charge ordered compounds provides an alternative approach to achieve high AS(M) and RCP values.     

Structural and dielectric studies in the (Ba0.9Ca0.1)(Ti1−x Sn x )O3 system

The variation in lattice constant and dielectric constant in the (Ba_0.9Ca_0.1) (Ti_1–x Sn _x )O₃ system have been investigated for compositions fromx = 0 tox = 0.20. Thea axis lattice constant increases at room temperature as substitution of tin for titanium increases, while thec axis lattice constant decreases. The dielectric constant increases and the Curie temperature is shifted to lower temperature as the amount of tin increases.     

BYPT压电陶瓷的结构与介温特性研究

采用传统固相反应法,制备了(1-x)BiYbO3-xPbTiO3(x=0.95、0.90、0.85、BYPTx)压电陶瓷。XRD衍射图谱分析表明,在烧结温度为1150℃保温时间为2h的条件下,BYPTx陶瓷为纯钙钛矿结构,并具有较大的四方畸变度,c/a约为1.06。XRD衍射图谱分析还表明BiYbO3与PbTiO3固溶度不超过15%。BYPTx陶瓷的介温曲线显示其居里温度高达Tc=580℃,但BYPTx陶瓷的压电性能较弱,d33≈20pC/N。