Relaxor-like ferroelectric behaviour favoured by short-range B-site ordering in 10% Ba2+ substituted MgFe2O4

Abstract Using the molten salt method, pristine and Ba 2+ substituted MgFe 2 O 4 are prepared. The relaxor-like behaviour observed in the dielectric dispersion indicates the existence of B-site short-range ordering with the local P 4 1 22/ P 4 3 22 symmetry which is confirmed by the Raman spectroscopy. The paper further analyses the origin of polarization using Maxwell–Wagner fit and Nyquist plot. This work suggests a possible way to increase the relaxor-like ferroelectric ordering, larger span of relaxation temperature (Δ T m ) and the effective masking of electronic contribution by the substitution of Ba 2+ ion.