Structural refinement, optical and electrical properties of [Ba1-x Sm-2x/3](Zr0.05Ti0.95)O-3 ceramics

Samarium doped barium zirconate titanate ceramics with general formula [Ba1-x Sm-2x/3](Zr0.05Ti0.95)O-3 [x = 0, 0.01, 0.02, and 0.03] were prepared by high energy ball milling method. X-ray diffraction patterns and micro-Raman spectroscopy confirmed that these ceramics have a single phase with a tetragonal structure. Rietveld refinement data were employed to model [BaO12], [SmO12], [ZrO6], and [TiO6] clusters in the lattice. Scanning electron microscopy shows a reduction in average grain size with the increase of Sm3+ ions into lattice. Temperature-dependent dielectric studies indicate a ferroelectric phase transition and the transition temperature decreases with an increase in Sm3+ ion content. The nature of the transition was investigated by the Curie-Weiss law and it is observed that the diffusivity increases with Sm3+ ion content. The ferroelectric hysteresis loop illustrates that the remnant polarization and coercive field increase with an increase in Sm3+ ions content. Optical properties of the ceramics were studied using ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy.