Effect of Sm Substitution on Structural, Dielectric, and Transport Properties of PZT Ceramics

The polycrystalline samples of Pb1−𝑥Sm𝑥(Zr0.45Ti0.55)1−𝑥/4O3 (PSZT) (where 𝑥 = 0.00, 0.03, 0.06, and 0.09) were prepared by a high-temperature solid-state reaction technique. Preliminary X-ray structural analysis of the materials at room temperature has confirmed their formation in single-phase with tetragonal crystal structure. The temperature dependence of dielectric response of the samples at selected frequencies has exhibited their phase transition well above the room temperature. The variation of ac conductivity with temperature and the value of activation energy reveal that their conduction process is of mixed type (i.e., singly ionized in ferroelectric region and doubly ionized in paraelectric phase).