Temperature and frequency dependence of dielectric loss of Ba(Mg1/3Ta2/3)O-3 microwave ceramics

Ba(Mg1/3Ta2/3)O-3 ceramic possessing extremely high Q x f value of more than 300 THz at microwave frequency was developed in our previous study. It is of great interest to understand the mechanism of microwave absorption in such a practical material. In the present study we report on the temperature dependence of the dielectric loss in the Ba(Mg1/3Ta2/3)O-3. The mechanism of the microwave absorption is discussed using two phonons difference process. The samples were prepared by conventional solid state reaction and sintered at 1893 K in oxygen atmosphere. Dielectric properties in the microwave range were measured by Hakki & Colemann and resonant cavity methods in the temperature range of 20-300 K. Whispering gallery mode technique was used for the measurement of the dielectric properties at the millimeter wave frequency. Dielectric loss of the Ba(Mg1/3Ta2/3)O-3 at the microwave frequency increases with temperature between 200 and 300 K in general agreement with the theory of intrinsic dielectric loss derived from the two phonon difference process. However below 200 K, the dielectric loss has shown a distinctive behavior with a loss peak at 40 K. It was inferred that the loss peak of the Ba(Mg1/3Ta2/3)O-3 was caused by the local orientation polarization having dispersion at the microwave frequency. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.