Dual-enhancement of ferro-/piezoelectric and photoluminescent performance in Pr{sup 3+} doped (K{sub 0.5}Na{sub 0.5})NbO{sub 3} lead-free ceramics

Journal Article · Mon Jul 28 00:00:00 EDT 2014 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4891959· OSTI ID:22311211

Wei, Yongbin; Jia, Yanmin; Wu, Jiang; Shen, Yichao ^[1]; Wu, Zheng ^[2]; Luo, Haosu ^[3]

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1. Department of Physics, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004 (China)
2. College of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004 (China)
3. Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800 (China)

A mutual enhancement action between the ferro-/piezoelectric polarization and the photoluminescent performance of rare earth Pr{sup 3+} doped (K{sub 0.5}Na{sub 0.5})NbO{sub 3} (KNN) lead-free ceramics is reported. After Pr{sup 3+} doping, the KNN ceramics exhibit the maximum enhancement of ∼1.2 times in the ferroelectric remanent polarization strength and ∼1.25 times in the piezoelectric coefficient d{sub 33}, respectively. Furthermore, after undergoing a ferro-/piezoelectric polarization treatment, the maximum enhancement of ∼1.3 times in photoluminescence (PL) was observed in the poled 0.3% Pr{sup 3+} doped sample. After the trivalent Pr{sup 3+} unequivalently substituting the univalent (K{sub 0.5}Na{sub 0.5}){sup +}, A-sites ionic vacancies will occur to maintain charge neutrality, which may reduce the inner stress and ease the domain wall motions, yielding to the enhancement in ferro-/piezoelectric performance. The polarization-induced enhancement in PL is attributed to the decrease of crystal symmetry abound the Pr{sup 3+} ions after polarization. The dual-enhancement of the ferro-/piezoelectric and photoluminescent performance makes the Pr{sup 3+} doped KNN ceramic hopeful for piezoelectric/luminescent multifunctional devices.

• OSTI ID: 22311211
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 105, Issue 4; Other Information: (c) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
CERAMICS
CRYSTALS
DOPED MATERIALS
EQUIPMENT
FERROELECTRIC MATERIALS
NIOBATES
PHOTOLUMINESCENCE
PIEZOELECTRICITY
POLARIZATION
POTASSIUM COMPOUNDS
PRASEODYMIUM ADDITIONS
RARE EARTHS
SODIUM COMPOUNDS
STRESSES
SYMMETRY