Lead-free high-strain single-crystal piezoelectrics in the alkaline–bismuth–titanate perovskite family

Abstract

Doped alkaline–bismuth–titanate perovskite single crystals have been grown in ferroelectric phases with high piezoelectric actuation. Rhombohedral-phase Na1/2Bi1/2TiO3–BaTiO3 crystals exhibit up to 0.25% free strain with low hysteresis along the cubic 〈001〉 direction (d33∼450 pC/N). Tetragonal phase crystals exhibit free strains as high as 0.85% with greater hysteresis characteristic of domain switching; low field d33 exceeds 500 pC/N. Strain energy densities exceed those of optimized polycrystalline lead perovskites, and actuation capability is retained at compressive stresses >100 MPa.