Ferroelectricity in intergrowth Bi{sub 3}TiNbO{sub 9}-Bi{sub 4}Ti{sub 3}O{sub 12} ceramics

Monophase intergrowth Bi{sub 3}TiNbO{sub 9}-Bi{sub 4}Ti{sub 3}O{sub 12} (BTN-BIT) ceramics were synthesized by solid-state reaction method. In the temperature dependence of dielectric permittivity, two anomalies appeared at 945 and 1114 K, respectively. The ferroelectric hysteresis loop measurement revealed that the 2P{sub r} is 20 {mu}C/cm{sup 2}, nearly as twice as that of the BTN ceramic. The crystal structure analysis indicated that the enhanced octahedral distortion along the a axis is the main contribution to the ferroelectricity of BTN-BIT. The increased 2P{sub r} for the BTN-BIT ceramics is ascribed to its larger P{sub s} than that of the BTN and easier domain switching under electric field than that of the BIT.