Understanding the piezoelectricity of high-performance potassium sodium niobate ceramics from diffused multi-phase coexistence and domain feature

Xi-xi Sun, Junwei Zhang, Xiang Lv, Xixiang Zhang, Yao Liu, Fei Li, Jiagang Wu

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

69 Scopus citations

Abstract

The understanding of high piezoelectricity in potassium sodium niobate (KNN)-based ceramics with a new phase boundary has been limited to unpoled samples. Here, the phase structure, domain structure, and phenomenological theory were studied on both unpoled and poled samples by taking (0.99 − x)(K0.48Na0.52)(Nb0.955Sb0.045)O3–0.01SrZrO3–x(Bi0.5Ag0.5)ZrO3 ceramics as an example. Shifting the phase transition temperatures to room temperature can result in the coexistence of a ferroelectric matrix containing an orthorhombic–tetragonal (O–T) coexisting phase and rhombohedral (R)-related polar nanoregions (PNRs), and then the miniature and nanoscale domain structure can be demonstrated. During the poling process, the R phase-related PNRs can facilitate domain switching and polarization rotation, resulting in a single domain structure and enhanced evidence of the R phase. Therefore, high piezoelectricity originates from a single domain feature as well as the diffused multi-phase coexistence in association with R phase related PNRs. This study provides a systematic approach to understand the physical mechanisms of enhanced piezoelectricity in KNN-based ceramics.
Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)16803-16811
Number of pages9
JournalJournal of Materials Chemistry A
Volume7
Issue number28
DOIs
StatePublished - 2019

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