Studies on Seebeck Effect in erbium doped silver vanadate

The Seebeck Effect has been observed in ferroelectric ceramic of silver vanadate doped with various concentrations of erbium oxide, in the temperature range covering the phase transition temperature, by maintaining the thermal gradient across the sample by using a subheater. It has been investigated that with the change of temperature of the samples the Seebeck coefficient changes, it becomes positive in ferroelectric region and negative in paraelectric region of the samples. Also it has been observed that the Seebeck coefficients are having different peak values for samples containing different concentrations of erbium oxide in silver vanadate. The Seebeck coefficient decreases to zero, indicating the phase transition temperature of the sample. Pure as well as erbium doped silver vanadate samples show p-type behaviour in ferroelectric region and n-type behaviour in the paraelectric region.