Achieving high energy storage performance in PbHfO3-based antiferroelectric ceramics by Sr element doping

Antiferroelectric (AFE) ceramics are the most promising material system for energy storage in dielectric capacitors due to their fast charging-discharging rate, good chemical stability, and high energy storage density. However, it is exceedingly challenging to simultaneously achieve the excellent recoverable energy density (Wre) and high energy storage efficiency (η) at present. In this work, (Pb0.925-xSrxLa0.05)(Hf0.95Ti0.05)O3 AFE ceramics with various Sr contents are fabricated by solid-state sintering processing. It has been found that Sr-doping in the A-site can significantly affect the microstructure, including reducing grain size and modulation period, effectively strengthening the antiferroelectricity, which is responsible for the improved energy storage performance. The high recoverable energy storage density of 10.2J/cm3 is obtained at 560kV/cm with an ultra-high efficiency of 93.0% in (Pb0.875Sr0.05La0.05)(Hf0.95Ti0.05)O3 ceramics. These features suggest that Sr-doped PbHfO3-based AFE ceramics can serve as promising candidates for capacitor materials, offering significant potential in the realm of energy storage applications.