Frequency-dependence of large-signal properties in lead-free piezoceramics

The dependence of large signal properties of (1-x)(0.81Bi(1/2)Na(1/2)TiO(3)-0.19Bi(1/2)K(1/2)TiO(3))-xBi(Zn1/2Ti1/2)O-3 with x = 0.02, 0.03, and 0.04 on the measurement frequency was investigated for a wide range of frequencies from 0.1 Hz to 100 Hz. A significant frequency dispersion in the characteristic parameters representatively maximum and coercive values was denoted. On extension with the temperature dependent dielectric permittivity measurement, it was shown that the observed frequency dependence is primarily correlated with the dynamics of field-induced phase transition from a relaxor state to a long-range ferroelectric state. Increasing the substitutional disorder introduced by Bi(Zn1/2Ti1/2)O-3 addition was demonstrated to pronounce the frequency dependence. It was proposed that the change be due to the increase in random fields and consequent dominance of ergodicity, based on the frequency-dependent hysteresis measurements at an elevated temperature above so-called induced-ferroelectric-to-relaxor transition temperature. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4730600]