Enhanced electromechanical properties in Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-PbTiO3 based 1-3 piezoelectric composites using the alternating current poling method

Extensive attention has been paid to alternating current polarization (ACP) as an effective technology to enhance the performance of ferroelectric materials. However, the effect of the ACP method on piezoelectric composites has not been determined. Herein, we studied and compared the effects of direct current polarization (DCP) and ACP on the dielectric, piezoelectric, and electromechanical properties of Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-PbTiO3 (PMN-PT) single-crystal 1-3 piezoelectric composites. For the ACP samples, an increase of 19 % for epsilon T33/epsilon 0, 15 % for d33, and 10 % for kt is observed in comparison with those of the DCP samples. Investigations of the domain structure indicated that the decreased domain size and high domain-wall density afforded the performance enhancement in ACP samples. Our results expand the application of the ACP method in piezoelectric composites and more diverse piezoelectric material categories.