Crystallization and dielectric properties of 4LiNbO3–SiO2 glass

Crystallization and dielectric behavior of the 4LiNbO3–SiO2 glass have been studied. Differential thermal analysis (DTA) measurements show two exothermic peaks with heating. X-ray measurements identify that the glass crystallizes into LiNbO3 nanoparticles and Li6Si2O7. Nanoparticles of three-dimensional growth are also identified by atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements. The activation energy obtained by modified Ozawa equation is 2.7 eV. In electrical measurements, the dielectric response change is interpreted with a connection of viscosity change as the temperature varies. It is found that there is an anomalous relaxation peak in the imaginary part of dielectric constant in the temperature range between 400 and 600 K, caused by a movement of non-bridging oxygen ions.