Enhanced dielectric and piezoelectric properties in the [001]-poled 0.25Pb(In1/2Nb1/2)O3-0.43Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-0.32PbTiO3 single crystal near morphotropic phase boundary by alternating current treatment

Abstract

In this paper, temperature dependance of induced dielectric and piezoelectric properties in the [001]-oriented predirect current poling (DCP) of the 0.25Pb(In1/2Nb1/2)O3-0.43Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-0.32PbTiO3 (0.25PIN-0.43PMN-0.32PT) single crystals near morphotropic phase boundary was investigated using the alternating current treatment (ACT). By the optimized ACT conditions of 1 kV/mm at 50 Hz over 20 cycles, the dielectric permittivity (ɛ33T/ɛ0) and piezoelectric coefficient (d33) at room temperature of the DCP-ACT crystal were improved to be 7120 and 2610 pC/N, which were 48% and 54% higher than that of the DCP crystal (ɛ33T/ɛ0 = 4800, d33 = 1700 pC/N). Based on the temperature dependence of dielectric permittivity and dielectric loss of the DCP-ACT crystal, the induced monoclinic phases (MA and MC) were involved in the phase transition process from a rhombohedral phase to a tetragonal phase. The phase transition temperatures TR-MA of 116 °C of the DCP-ACT crystal showed about 10 °C higher than that of DCP. Meanwhile, ɛ33T/ɛ0 of the DCP-ACT crystal at TR-MA and in the tetragonal phase region, at around 110 °C and 130 °C, were 160% and 390% higher than those of the DCP crystal, respectively. The ultrahigh ɛ33T/ɛ0 = 17 000 of the DCP-ACT crystal at 130 °C may relate to the nanoscale heterogeneous polar-regions induced by ACT. The ACT is a promising way to enhance the dielectric and piezoelectric performance of the pre-DCP 0.25PIN-0.43PMN-0.32PT single crystals with broadened temperature range for device applications.