Hydrogen-related dynamic dielectric behavior of barium titanate single crystals

Barium titanate single crystals had been placed in 0.01M NaOH solution to deposit hydrogen on their electrodes through the electrolysis of water. Two kinds of time-dependent changes in dielectric properties of the single crystals were observed: One occurred in the course of hydrogen deposition and the other lasted for a long period of time after the deposition. The diffusion of hydrogen and in and out of the single crystals may be the cause for the changes. This hydrogen-related dynamic dielectric behavior clearly shows that hydrogen is an important mobile ion other than oxygen vacancy in perovskite-type lattice. Extra attention should be paid to the role of hydrogen in time-dependent property changes, including resistance degradation and ferroelectric aging, of perovskite-type ferroelectric titanates. © 2006 American Institute of Physics. DOI: 10.1063/1.2206686