XRD measurement of 90° domain reorientation and domain contribution to the electric-field-induced strain in PZT ceramics

An in situ X-ray diffraction (XRD) method was used to evaluate the 90 degrees domain reorientation of lead zirconate titanate (PZT) ceramics under the electric field. The strain caused by the reorientation was calculated and compared with the electric-field-induced longitudinal strain measured with a laser displacement meter and the strain expected from the piezoelectric d-constant. It was confirmed that the electric-field-induced strain of PZT ceramics was composed of strains due to the piezoelectric effect and the 90 degrees domain reorientation. In donor-added "soft" PZT ceramics, the amounts of the reorientation caused by poling and by the subsequent application of an electric field had a close correlation with the tetragonality of the crystal lattice. In Mn-doped PZT ceramics, the contribution 90 degrees domain reorientation to the electric-field-induced strain depended on the frequency of electric field and increased under a high field with a low frequency.