The paper examines the ferroelectric-paraelectric phase transition in Cu:BaTiO3 single crystals. Using thermo-currents and dielectric measurements, we found for pure samples the phase transition temperature to be close to Curie temperature (Tc=120°C) with an anisotropy of the dielectric constantε.The lowering of temperature Tm, corresponding to the maximum of pyroelectric signal, with the increase of concentration of impurities is confirmed by measurements of ε. Moreover, the e(T) curves show progressive broadening as well as higher peak with the increase of impurity concentration, and the transition becomes more and more diffuse. The same effect occurs when the samples are subjected to a laser irradiation (λ=5145Ǻ). During annealing, crystals lose copper and Tm is thereafter observed to increase again. BaTiO3 is a displacive ferroelectric (having high permittivity k-values) which undergoes a first order phase transition. Ions substitutions have an effect on the lattice dynamics attributed to charge transfer to Ti and a lowering of elastic forces in BaTiO3. Kewwords: Ferroelectric transition; BaTiO3 single crystals; Thermo-currents; Dielectric constant. © 2009 JSR Publications. ISSN: 2070-0237 (Print); 2070-0245 (Online). All rights reserved. DOI: 10.3329/jsr.v1i2.1876
Optical properties, lattice dynamics, and structural phase transition in hexagonal2H−BaMnO3single crystals