Subcoercive Cyclic Electrical Loading of Lead Zirconate Titanate Ceramics II: Time‐Resolved X‐Ray Diffraction

Abstract

Structural changes such as non‐180° domain wall motion and lattice strains in Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 ceramics are measured during the application of subcoercive cyclic electric fields using time‐resolved high‐energy X‐ray diffraction with a stroboscopic data collection technique. The contributions to the electric‐field‐induced strains from non‐180° domain wall motion and lattice distortions are determined as a function of material composition and type of dopant. For the different compositions studied, the largest strains due to non‐180° domain wall motion are measured for La‐doped tetragonal ceramics with a composition close to the morphotropic phase boundary. It is further observed that strain contributions from both non‐180° domain wall motion and lattice distortions can be nonlinear with respect to the applied electric field. The correlation between the electric‐field‐induced structural changes and the macroscopic piezoelectric properties is discussed.