Influence of Nd:YAG laser irradiation on AC impedance and dielectric properties of lithium ferrite

Polycrystalline samples of Li_0.5Fe_2.5O₄ spinel ferrite have been synthesized by a standard ceramic technique. The samples were irradiated with an Nd:YAG laser to study the effect of laser irradiation on the structural, dielectric and AC impedance properties. The X-ray diffraction results show the formation of a disordered cubic structure after irradiation. The dielectric constant (?′), dielectric loss (?″) and the loss tangent (tan δ ) were measured at room temperature as a function of frequency (f=20 Hz–1 MHz) for the irradiated and unirradiated samples of Li_0.5Fe_2.5O₄ spinel ferrite. The dielectric constant of the irradiated samples is decreased in magnitude compared to the unirradiated samples. It was found that laser irradiation increases the polarization and the resistivity of the samples as a result of electronic rearrangement and lattice defects. The AC conductivity of the samples was derived from the dielectric constant and loss tangent data. The change in AC conductivity is attributed to the creation of lattice vacancies after laser irradiation. The AC impedance analysis was used to separate the grain and grain boundary of the Li_0.5Fe_2.5O₄ spinel ferrite.