Enhancement of pyroelectric properties of lead-free 0.94Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3-0.06BaTiO3 ceramics by La doping

Lead-free 0.94NBT-0.06BT-xLa ceramics at x = 0.0-1.0 (%) were synthesized by a conventional solid-state route. XRD shows that the compositions are at a morphotropic phase boundary where rhombohedral and tetragonal phases coexist. With increasing La3+ content pyroelectric coefficient (p) and figures of merits greatly increase; however, the depolarization temperature (Td) decreases. p is 7.24 × 10−4C m−2 °C−1 at RT at x = 0.5% and 105.4 × 10−4C.m−2 °C−1 at Td at x = 0.2%. Fi and Fv show improvements at RT from 1.12 (x = 0%) to 2.65 (x10 −10 m v−1) (x = 0.5%) and from 0.021 to 0.048 (m2.C−1) respectively. Fi and Fv show a huge increase to 37.6 × 10−10 m v−1 and 0.56 m2 C−1 respectively at Td at x = 0.2%. FC shows values of 2.10, 2.89, and 2.98 (x10−9C cm−2 °C−1) at RT at 33, 100 and 1000 (Hz) respectively. Giant pyroelectric properties make NBT-0.06BT-xLa at x = 0.2% and 0.5% promising materials for many pyroelectric applications.