Field‐Induced Strain in Single‐Crystal BaTiO ₃

Abstract

The electric‐field‐induced strain in single‐crystal BaTiO 3 was investigated. For crystals relatively free of twinning, a longitudinal strain of 0.35% can be induced just above the ferroelectric‐paraelectric phase transition temperature (T c1 ) primarily by field‐forced paraelectric‐ferroelectric phase transition. For heavily twinned crystals, 90° domain reorientation under the applied electric field plays an important role in the induced strain below T c1 , and an induced strain of 0.6% is observed a few degrees below T c1 . Above T c1 , the electrostrictive property measured by a weak excitation field is purely intrinsic. When the excitation field is large, so that a field‐forced paraelectric‐ferroelectric phase transition is involved, the x 33 /P 2 3 value (where x 33 and P 3 are the induced strain and polarization along the z axis, respectively) is intrinsic at higher temperature, but may be modified at temperatures just at and slightly above T c1 by residual 90° twin structure.