Percolative effects and giant dielectric tunability of BaTiO3–LuFe2O4 composites

We report on exotic dielectric properties of composite materials consisting of traditional ferroelectric BaTiO3 and electronic ferroelectric LuFe2O4. The composites were synthesized by a simple ceramic processing method with properties that can be tailored by adjusting LuFe2O4 concentration. A percolative effect was observed at the volume fraction of ∼0.26, which led to an abrupt increase in the dielectric permittivity. For composites with high LuFe2O4 fractions, a giant dielectric tunability was observed over a broad temperature interval, which is in strong contrast to traditional ferroelectrics.