In situ transmission electron microscopy study of electric-field-induced microcracking in single crystal Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3–PbTiO3

In this letter, we report in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) study of effect of a cyclic electric field on microcracking in a single crystal piezoelectric 0.66Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3–0.34PbTiO3. A TEM heating stage was modified to permit the in situ application of an electric field on the TEM sample surface. Microcrack initiation from a fine pore under an applied cyclic electric field was directly observed in the piezoelectric single crystal. Experimental procedures for in situ TEM studies were described.