Effects of Ni doping on properties of strontium–barium–niobate crystals

Doping congruently melting crystals of SBN with Ni results in a strong lowering of the phase transition temperature and a significant smearing of the phase transition. As a consequence such parameters as the dielectric permittivity, the pyro-, piezo- and the electrooptic coefficients are remarkably increased at room temperature and show relatively weak temperature dependencies. The Ni-induced optical absorption is interpreted as crystal field transitions.