Ferroelectric properties of lead zirconate titanate under radial load

Abstract

Ferroelectric and ferroelastic properties are closely entwined in piezoelectric perovskites. Research on this topic has been mostly limited to collinear action of electric field and mechanical load. Here, the effect of a radial mechanical load and an axial electric field applied simultaneously to a cylindrical lead zirconate titanate sample is investigated. The dielectric constant after poling under load indicates that domain wall movement is facilitated, while the number of domain walls is reduced. Hysteresis measurements show that the remnant polarization and coercive field depend characteristically on the load, with a clear behavior change at the ferroelastic coercive stress.

Electric-field-induced antiferroelectric to ferroelectric phase transition in mechanically confinedPb0.99Nb0.02[(Tan1, Frederick2, Ma3 et al. 2010Phys. Rev. BSelf Cite732540View full textAdd to dashboardCite

“…4 The concurrent mechanical stress provides an extra driving force for either alignment ͑radial stress͒ [14][15][16] or misalignment ͑uniaxial stress͒. Once the polar-domain configuration is fixed, the macroscopic polarization is still affected by the applied stress through the direct piezoelectric effect.…”

“…Specifically, polarization is reduced by the uniaxial compressive prestress through the piezoelectric coefficient, d 33 , while enhanced by the radial compressive prestress through the piezoelectric coefficient, d 31 . [14][15][16] To describe the electric-field-induced phase transition under mechanical confinements further, we invoke the Gibbs free energy Ŵ , and write it into three parts…”

“…12,13 In the present work, the effect of uniaxial as well as radial compressive prestresses on the electric-field-induced phase transition was investigated in the antiferroelectric Pb 0.99 Nb 0.02 ͓͑Zr 0.57 Sn 0.43 ͒ 0.94 Ti 0.06 ͔ 0.98 O 3 ͑PNZST43/6/2͒ ceramic with a unique loading fixture we developed recently. [14][15][16] Considering the different stages in the electric-field-induced phase-transition process, the mechanical confinements are expected to generate ferroelastic domain switching in the antiferroelectric phase before the transition, to suppress the phase transition through acting against volume expansion, to influence the ferroelastic domain switching and to affect the polarization through the direct piezoelectric effect in the induced polar state after the transition.…”

Domain switching energies: Mechanical versus electrical loading in La-doped bismuth ferrite–lead titanate

“…8 External mechanical compressive stress has been found to strongly influence switching, 9,10 either suppressing or assisting domain reorientation processes. 4,[11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22] If the external applied stress is large enough domain switching may be suppressed completely. 12,14 However, small mechanical compressive stresses can also prompt an increase in ferroelectric properties.…”

“…12,14 However, small mechanical compressive stresses can also prompt an increase in ferroelectric properties. 4,5,16,19,20 Depending on the orientation of the mechanical load it is possible to improve the domain switching ability of polycrystalline 21,22 and single crystal ferroelectrics. 23 The influence of mechanical load is not limited to external stress; intrinsic internal stress has also been found to influence the switching behavior of ferroelectric materials.…”