Realization of face-shear piezoelectric coefficient d36 in PZT ceramics via ferroelastic domain engineering

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates a method to induce and measure a significant face-shear piezoelectric coefficient d36 in PZT ceramics by ferroelastic domain engineering, enabling new applications in resonators and nondestructive testing.

Contribution

The study introduces a novel ferroelastic domain switching technique to realize large d36 coefficients in PZT ceramics, overcoming symmetry limitations.

Findings

Achieved d36 coefficients up to 206 pC/N in PZT ceramics.

Ferroelastic domain switching modifies symmetry from transversally isotropic to orthogonal.

Large d36 in ceramics enables face-shear mode resonators and SH wave generation.

Abstract

The piezoelectric face-shear (d36) mode may be the most useful shear mode in piezoelectrics, while currently this mode can only exist in single crystals of specific point groups and cut directions. Theoretically the d36 coefficient vanishes in piezoelectric ceramics because of its transversally isotropic symmetry . In this work, we modified the symmetry of poled PZT ceramics from transversally isotropic to orthogonal through ferroelastic domain switching by applying a high lateral stress along the "2" direction and holding the stress for several hours. After removing the compression, the piezoelectric coefficient d31 is found much larger than d32. Then by cutting the compressed sample along the zxt+45 deg direction, we realized d36 coefficients up to 206 pC/N which is measured by using a modified d33 meter. The obtained large d36 coefficients in PZT ceramics could be very promising for face-shear mode resonators and shear horizontal (SH) wave generation in nondestructive testing.