Observation of the flexoelectric effect in relaxor Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3 ceramics

The relationship between elastic strain gradient and electric polarization was investigated in the relaxor ferroelectric lead magnesium niobate ceramic. Experimental studies indicated that flexoelectric polarization is linearly proportional to the applied strain gradient, and the flexoelectric coefficient mu (12) is calculated to be 4 x 10(-6) C/m, which is much higher than the early phenomenological estimations. (C) 2001 American Institute of Physics.