Polarization and phase transition behavior of PbLa(Zr, Sn, Ti)O3 antiferroelectric ceramics under pulse electric field

Abstract

In real applications, antiferroelectric (AFE) ceramics are usually subjected to a pulse electric field with fast rising or falling speed. In the measurement of hysteresis loop at low frequency, the applied electric field has a low changing rate. Thus, the obtained results cannot reveal the polarization nor phase transition of AFE ceramics in real applications. In the present work, a platform to measure the pulse hysteresis loop is developed and the polarization and phase transition of Pb_0.94La_0.04[(Zr_0.52Sn_0.48)_0.84Ti_0.16]O₃ (PLZST) AFE ceramics under pulse electric field on a μs scale are investigated. The obtained results indicate that the phase transition can be induced by pulse electric field. However, the maximum polarization decreases, the forward transition field increases and the backward one decreases, resulting in the variation of energy storage performance. Thus, the hysteresis loop at low frequency cannot reveal the performance of AFE ceramics under the action of a pulse electric field. The pulse hysteresis loop is of great significance in real applications.