Pyroelectric and dielectric properties of ferroelectric ceramics for microwave tunable devices and infrared detector applications

This paper presents new results of low frequency pyroelectric behavior and dielectric constant tunability at microwave frequencies of novel lead-free ferro-piezoelectric ceramics with composition (Bi_0.5Na_0.5)_0.96Ba_0.04TiO₃, We show that these ceramics perform well as pyroelectric infrared detectors, with a sensitivity comparable to traditional lead-containing ceramics. For microwave tunable applications, the material presents a promising tunability of the dielectric constant in the range from 100 MHz to 3 GHz when moderate DC electric fields are applied. These results encourage the research on this material for new applications in the fields of microwave devices and infrared optoelectronics.