Vibrational spectroscopy study of doped-CaZrO3 ceramics

Doped-CaZrO3 materials were prepared by solid-state reaction. The substitution was either on the A site of the perovskite (Mg, Ca, Ba) or on the B site (Ti, Hf). The samples were pre-calcined and sintered at 1673 K for 6 h. They were analysed using Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy. The microwave dielectric function was determined by a Kramers–Kronig analysis. The reflectance spectra were then adjusted using the classical dispersion equations taking into account the longitudinal/transverse optic (LO/TO) modes splitting. The calculated values of the Q factor match very well with the measured ones and follow a linear tendency depending on the reduced mass of the oscillator composed of Ca- and Zr-like virtual-ions. The first phonon mode is (as in many perovskite) the most incident mode on the dielectric losses. Numerous modes’ parameters are dependent on both the mass of the dopant and its concentration.