Role of Reversible Phase Transformation for Strong Piezoelectric Performance at the Morphotropic Phase Boundary

Hui Liu, Jun Chen, Houbing Huang, Longlong Fan, Yang Ren, Zhao Pan, Jinxia Deng, Long-Qing Chen, and Xianran Xing
Phys. Rev. Lett. 120, 055501 – Published 29 January 2018
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Abstract

A functional material with coexisting energetically equivalent phases often exhibits extraordinary properties such as piezoelectricity, ferromagnetism, and ferroelasticity, which is simultaneously accompanied by field-driven reversible phase transformation. The study on the interplay between such phase transformation and the performance is of great importance. Here, we have experimentally revealed the important role of field-driven reversible phase transformation in achieving enhanced electromechanical properties using in situ high-energy synchrotron x-ray diffraction combined with 2D geometry scattering technology, which can establish a comprehensive picture of piezoelectric-related microstructural evolution. High-throughput experiments on various Pb/Bi-based perovskite piezoelectric systems suggest that reversible phase transformation can be triggered by an electric field at the morphotropic phase boundary and the piezoelectric performance is highly related to the tendency of electric-field-driven phase transformation. A strong tendency of phase transformation driven by an electric field generates peak piezoelectric response. Further, phase-field modeling reveals that the polarization alignment and the piezoelectric response can be much enhanced by the electric-field-driven phase transformation. The proposed mechanism will be helpful to design and optimize the new piezoelectrics, ferromagnetics, or other related functional materials.

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  • Received 3 August 2017

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.120.055501

© 2018 American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Condensed Matter, Materials & Applied Physics

Authors & Affiliations

Hui Liu1, Jun Chen1,*, Houbing Huang2, Longlong Fan1, Yang Ren3, Zhao Pan1, Jinxia Deng1, Long-Qing Chen4, and Xianran Xing1

  • 1Department of Physical Chemistry, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China
  • 2Department of Physics, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China
  • 3X-Ray Science Division, Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439, USA
  • 4Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA

  • *Corresponding author. junchen@ustb.edu.cn.

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Issue

Vol. 120, Iss. 5 — 2 February 2018

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