The influence of nanometric phase separation on the dielectric and magnetic properties of (1-x)BaTiO3-xLaYbO3 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.60) ceramics

X-Ray diffraction analysis shows the co-solubility of La3+ and Yb3+ into BaTiO3 according to the formulae LaxBa1-xTi1-xYbxO3 (LBTYb) to be as high as x = 0.45. Raman spectroscopy analysis suggests the occurrence of continuous ion clustering with increasing x, which culminates with nanometric phase separation at x >= 0.35, as revealed by dark-field transmission electron microscopy. The room temperature relative permittivity, epsilon(RT), of LBTYb ceramics decreases from similar to 1600 for x = 0 to similar to 62 for x = 0.45. The Curie temperature, T-c, of LBTYb ceramics decreases at a average rate of similar to 23 K/at% La/Yb for x <= 0.20. Relaxor-type behaviour is observed for 0.10 <= x <= 0.35. A nearly linear dielectric response is observed for 0.40 < x <= 0.45, but below 25 K, epsilon(T) decreases sharply, whereas the magnetic susceptibility increases. The microwave dielectric properties of x = 0.40 ceramics are epsilon(RT) similar to 65 and tan delta similar to 0.01 at similar to 5 GHz. The high dielectric loss may be primarily associated with anharmonic phonon interactions resulting from the phase separation.