Electromechanical cycling and thermal effects on ferroelastic domain orientation

Abstract

The effects of electromechanical cycling on ferroelastic textures in piezoelectric materials have been investigated. In initial investigations the remnant polarization increased with cycling whereas ex-situ XRD showed no change in ferroelectric texture. The observed changes in polarization loops were attributed at least, in part, to self-heating. To better understand the effects of temperature on polarization, the effect of ex-situ and in-situ heating on domain orientation in similar material has been investigated by using x-ray diffraction (XRD).