Ferroelectric, ferroelastic, piezoelectric, and dielectric properties of lead zirconate titanate from –150 °C to 350 °C

Abstract The ferroelectric, ferroelastic, piezoelectric, and dielectric properties of co-doped, soft-type Pb(Zr,Ti)O 3 were measured from −150 °C to 350 °C, highlighting the importance of temperature and defects on the electromechanical response. Small signal piezoelectric measurements revealed a linear increase with increasing temperatures below 0 °C, followed by a maximum at approximately 50 °C. The low temperature properties correspond well to observed changes in the large-field response during the application of an external electrical and mechanical field. The results illustrate the importance of understanding phase boundary effects in order to determine a useable temperature range and to tailor future lead free piezoelectric materials for cryogenic electromechanical applications.