Ferroelectric and pyroelectric properties of rare earth based tungsten-bronze compounds

Complex polycrystalline materials [Li2Pb2R2W2Ti4Nb4O30 (R = Dy, Sm)] of the tungsten bronze structural family have been synthesized using a high-temperature solid-state reaction (mixed-oxide) technique. The formation of the single phase compounds was checked using preliminary X-ray structural data/pattern. The nature and distribution of grains in the samples in the scanning electron micrographs confirm the good quality of the samples used for electrical characterization. Detailed studies of dielectric constant, tangent loss and electrical polarization as a function of temperature at different frequency confirmed the existence of ferroelectric properties in the materials at room temperature. Study of electrical properties (impedance, modulus, conductivity, etc.,) of the materials exhibits a strong correlation between their microstructures (i.e., bulk, grain boundary, etc.) and electrical parameters. The frequency dependence of ac conductivity suggests that the materials obey Jonscher's universal power law. Pyroelectric study shows that the materials have good pyroelectric coefficient and figure of merit.