Low-temperature polarization in impure SrTiO3 ceramics

Abstract

Measurements of the temperature dependence of the dielectric constant and polarization in a constant field have been made on nominally pure SrTiO₃ ceramics and SrTiO₃ ceramics containing vanadium and niobium impurities. The peaks in the dielectric constant and the remanent polarization observed are apparently not due to a ferroelectric or antiferroelectric transition but rather to the presence of a thermoelectret state existing for permanent dipoles in the materials. It is suggested that the permanent dipoles have an origin similar to the impurity‐vacancy dipoles found in alkali halides.