Abstract
The field-excited electron emission from lanthanum-doped barium—strontium—titanate ceramics was studied. Emitted charge densities up to 100 nC/cm2 were measured. The results from field-excited emission and from dielectric measurements, obtained with the same samples, support the hypotheses of the existence and of the reversibility of fast-switching ferroelectric microdomains. These ceramics have properties, such as electrical conductivity, dielectric constant, thermostimulated currents, which are typically related to ferroelectric relaxors. It is shown that these properties can be modified by adequate thermal and electrical treatments.