Electromechanical properties of high coupling single crystals under large electric drive and uniaxial compression.

This work investigates the 33-mode electromechanical response of relaxor-ferroelectric lead magnesium niobate-lead titanate (PMN-PT) single crystals when driven with large fields approximately 0.4 MV/m under a combined direct current (DC) field and mechanical bias similar to those used in the design of sound projectors. It demonstrates that the remarkable small signal length extensional coupling (k33 > 0.90) and other electromechanical properties of morphotropic PMN-PT single crystals prevail under large drive. The observed k33 roll-off at 42 MPa compressive stress is analyzed in terms of the recent structural data and the high-order Devonshire theory of possible ferroelectric-ferroelectric transition trajectories.