Domain Size Dependence of Piezoelectric Properties of Ferroelectrics

TL;DR

This study uses a continuum Ginzburg-Landau model to explore how ferroelectric domain size influences piezoelectric properties, revealing that smaller domains enhance piezoelectric coefficients, aligning with experimental findings.

Contribution

It introduces a simulation approach to analyze domain size effects on piezoelectricity in ferroelectrics, incorporating long-range interactions and microstructure control.

Findings

Smaller domains lead to higher piezoelectric coefficients.

Simulation results agree with experimental data.

Domain engineering can optimize piezoelectric properties.

Abstract

The domain size dependence of piezoelectric properties of ferroelectrics is investigated using a continuum Ginzburg-Landau model that incorporates the long-range elastic and electrostatic interactions. Microstructures with desired domain sizes are created by quenching from the paraelectric phase by biasing the initial conditions. Three different two-dimensional microstructures with different sizes of the $90^{o}$ domains are simulated. An electric field is applied along the polar as well as non-polar directions and the piezoelectric response is simulated as a function of domain size for both cases. The simulations show that the piezoelectric coefficients are enhanced by reducing the domain size, consistent with recent experimental results of Wada and Tsurumi (Brit. Ceram. Trans. {\bf 103}, 93, 2004) on domain engineered $BaTiO_{3} $