An efficient way to enhance output strain for shear mode Pb(In1/2Nb1/2)O3-Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-PbTiO3 crystals: Applying uniaxial stress perpendicular to polar direction

The shear piezoelectric behavior of [001] poled tetragonal and [011] poled rhombohedral Pb(In1/2Nb1/2)O-3-Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O-3-PbTiO3 (PIN-PMN-PT) crystals, with "1T" and "2R" domain configurations, respectively, were investigated under uniaxial stress perpendicular to polar direction. The shear piezoelectric coefficient d(15) was found to decrease with increasing compressive stress for both "1T" and "2R" crystals. Based on thermodynamic analysis, the phase structure can be stabilized by applying compressive stress perpendicular to polar direction, resulting in a "harder" polarization rotation process, accounts for the reduced shear piezoelectric coefficient. Of particular importance is that the allowable drive electric field was greatly increased and transverse dielectric loss was drastically reduced under compressive stress, leading to the improved maximum-shear-strain. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4712129]