High performance ferroelectric relaxor-PbTiO3 single crystals: Status and perspective

Abstract

Ferroelectrics are essential components in a wide range of applications, including ultrasonic transducers, sensors, and actuators. In the single crystal form, relaxor-PbTiO3 (PT) piezoelectric materials have been extensively studied due to their ultrahigh piezoelectric and electromechanical properties. In this article, a perspective and future development of relaxor-PT crystals are given. Initially, various techniques for the growth of relaxor-PT crystals are reviewed, with crystals up to 100 mm in diameter and 200 mm in length being readily achievable using the Bridgman technique. Second, the characterizations of dielectric and electromechanical properties are surveyed. Boundary conditions, including temperature, electric field, and stress, are discussed in relation to device limitations. Third, the physical origins of the high piezoelectric properties and unique loss characteristics in relaxor-PT crystals are discussed with respect to their crystal structure, phase, engineered domain configuration, macrosymmetry, and domain size. Finally, relaxor-PT single crystals are reviewed with respect to specific applications and contrasted to conventional piezoelectric ceramics.

[111]-oriented PIN-PMN-PT crystals with ultrahigh dielectric permittivity and high frequency constant for high-frequency transducer applications

“…1(c), owing to the high contribution of "polarization rotation" in relaxor-PT systems. 15,16 . Longitudinal rods (1.5 Â 1.5 Â 6 mm) for k 33 , the thickness plate (5 Â 5 Â 0.65 mm) for k t , and the rectangular samples (5 Â 7 Â 8 mm) for ultrasonic measurements were prepared.…”

Study on dielectric and piezoelectric properties of 0.7 Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-0.3 PbTiO3 single crystal with nano-patterned composite electrode

“…6,7 For ferroelectric compositions near the morphotropic phase boundary, the polarization can be easily rotated between different symmetries, giving rise to enhanced dielectric and piezoelectric properties. 8,9 In addition to ferroelectric composition control, piezoelectric properties in ferroelectric crystals can be enhanced using domain engineering, which is the technique to obtain certain domain configuration inside the materials by selecting crystal cuts, and/ or applying electric field along one axis, creating a set of domains in which the polarization vectors are oriented to minimize their angles to the poling direction. 10 Based on the domain engineering, relaxor-PT single crystals with the composition near morphotropic phase boundary and h001i cut could show ultrahigh piezoelectric coefficients and electromechanical coupling factors (e.g., d 33 > 2000 pC/N and k 33 > 0.9), far outperforming the state-of-the-art Pb(Zr x Ti 1-x )O 3 ceramics.…”

Complete set of elastic, dielectric, and piezoelectric constants of [011]C poled rhombohedral Pb(In0.5Nb0.5)O3-Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-PbTiO3:Mn single crystals

“…[1][2][3][4][5][6] However, the relatively low rhombohedral to tetragonal phase transition temperatures (T RT $ 60-95 C) and Curie temperatures (T C $ 130-170 C) of PMN-PT limit their usage temperature range. Pb(In 0.5 Nb 0.5 ) O 3 -Pb(Mg 1/3 Nb 2/3 )O 3 -PbTiO 3 (PIN-PMN-PT) based ternary single crystals have been reported to have T RT more than 30 C higher than that of PMN-PT, with comparable piezoelectric coefficients (d 33 > 1500 pC/N) and electromechanical coupling factors (k 33 $ 0.90).…”