AC behavior in lanthanum modified PZT ferroelectric ceramics

The lanthanum-doped lead titanate zirconate ceramics (PLZT) are very interesting ferroelectric materials, which have been widely studied because of their dielectric, ferroelectric, piezoelectric, electro-optical and pyroelectric behaviors. The study of the ac behavior in ferroelectric ceramics is a useful way for their characterization. A particular advantage is gained in the case of polycrystalline specimens, whose electrical response is naturally more complex to analyze than that from a single crystal. From the ac behavior the conductivity characteristic can be analyzed and also its influence on the transition temperature and the ferroelectric behavior of the ceramics. This paper presents the analysis of the ac behavior of PUT x/70/30 and PLZT x/65/35 ferroelectric ceramics. The electrical conductivity behavior and its influence on the phase transition are studied. (c) 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.