Plasmonic-enhanced ferroelectric photovoltaic effect in 0–3 type BaTiO₃-Au ceramics

Ferroelectric ceramics possess great application potential in optoelectronic and solar energy devices. However, ferroelectric ceramics normally have large band gaps, strongly inhibiting their photovoltaic performances. In this work, we use a strategy to enhance the visible light absorption of ferroelectric ceramics by incorporating Au nanoparticles into the ferroelectric BaTiO₃(BT) matrix. The BT-Au nanohybrids are preliminarily synthesized as the “building blocks” which are assembled and then sintered as the 0–3 type composite ceramic. We find that the UV–vis absorption of composite ceramic is improved by localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPRs). While the ferroelectric property of the 0–3 type BT-Au ceramic remains robust. As a result, the composite ceramics show excellent ferroelectric photovoltaic effect with a photocurrent being approximately seven times as that in pure BT ceramics and an open-circuit voltage of 6 V. These findings suggest that interfacial control of ceramic composites may act an effective approach to optimize the photovoltaic responses in ferroelectric ceramics.