Dielectric relaxation in LaSrCo1-x Alx O4 ceramics

Dielectric properties of LaSrCo1-x Alx O4 (x=0, 0.1, 0.3, and 0.5) ceramics were investigated in a broad frequency and temperature range. The AC conductivity decreased with the increasing Al concentration. Dielectric constant increased at lower frequency and decreased at higher frequency when the Al concentration increased from 0.1 to 0.3, then it decreased at all frequencies as the x value was 0.5. While the dielectric loss decreased first and then increased with the increasing Al concentration. There was one dielectric relaxation in the curve of temperature dependence of dielectric properties of LaSrCo0.7Al0.3O4 ceramics. The nonadiabatic small polaronic hopping process should contribute to the dielectric relaxation in the present ceramics. The AC conductivity increased in about one order of magnitude after annealing the sample in the oxygen atmosphere, and this should be attributed to the appearance of interstitial oxygen in the annealed sample. (orig.)