Phase transformation induced by electric field and mechanical stress in Mn-doped (Bi1/2Na1/2)TiO3-(Bi1/2K1/2)TiO3 ceramics

Electric-field-and stress-induced phase transformations were investigated in polycrystalline 0.5 mol. % Mn-doped (1-x)(Bi1/2Na1/2)TiO3-x(Bi1/2K1/2)TiO3 (x = 0.1, 0.2). To characterize the effect of electric field and stress on the stability of the ferroelectric and relaxor states, polarization- and current density-electric field curves, as well as the stress-strain response as a function of temperature were characterized. Analogous to the observed electrical behavior, the macroscopic mechanical constitutive behavior showed a closed hysteresis at elevated temperatures, indicating a reversible stress-induced relaxor-to-ferroelectric transformation. The electrical and mechanical measurements were used to construct electric field-temperature and stress-temperature phase diagrams, which show similar characteristics. These data show that a mechanical compressive stress, similarly to an electric field, can induce long-range ferroelectric order in a relaxor ferroelectric. Published by AIP Publishing.