High electric-field-induced strain behavior of single-crystal Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-xPbTiO3 multilayer piezoelectric actuators

Two 10-mm-long multilayer prototype actuators were fabricated by a stack method using 55 pieces of 5 mm X 5 mm X 0.15 mm Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O-3-xPbTiO(3) (PMNT) single crystals and PZT-5A ceramics, respectively. The strain values for PMNT multilayer piezoelectric actuators are twice those of PZT-5A multilayer actuators, and 20.8-mu m displacements can be achieved at the same E-field of 15 kV/cm. Although thermal and electrical history markedly impact dielectric and piezoelectric performance of PMNT crystals, the PMNT multilayer actuator can still achieve large displacements with approximately linear behavior below 60 degrees C. Broad stable dynamic displacement characteristic and fast displacement response make the new-type actuators promising candidates for the application in new-generation high-performance solid-state actuators.