Dielectric and Pyroelectric Properties of La- and Pr-Modified Tungsten-Bronze Ferroelectrics

The polycrystalline materials Li2Pb2R2W2Ti4Nb4O30 (R = La, Pr) of the tungsten-bronze structural family have been synthesized using a high- temperature mixed-oxide method. Room-temperature x-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirms the formation of single-phase compounds. Room-temperature scanning electron micrography of the pellet samples shows a uniform distribution of well-defined different sizes of grains on the surface of the samples, confirming the formation of single-phase compounds. Study of the frequency and temperature dependence of the dielectric constant and loss tangent suggests the existence of dielectric dispersion in the materials. The ferroelectric phase transition in the samples has been studied based on the variation of fitting parameters (calculated from a theoretical model) with temperature. Studies of pyroelectric properties [figure of merit (FOM) and coefficient] show that the materials have reasonably high FOM useful for pyroelectric detectors. The variation of alternating-current (AC) and direct-current (DC) conductivity with inverse absolute temperature (obtained from dielectric data) follows a typical Arrhenius relation. The low leakage current and negative temperature coefficient of resistance behavior of the samples have been verified from J-E plots.