Ultralow Hysteresis and a Giant Electrostrictive Coefficient in Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O₃-Based Ferroelectric Crystals

The electrostriction effect is widely present in insulators and dielectrics as a secondary effect of the electric fields. It offers distinct advantages over the strain caused by piezoelectric effects, such as hysteresis-free and residual strain, high sensitivity, and rapid response capabilities. The phenomenon has found widespread application in transducer technology. Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3 (PMN) is a typical electrostrictive material. Here, the electrostrictive properties of PMN-based single crystals were investigated. The electrostrictive coefficient is designed by adjustment of Curie temperature and polar nanoregion concentration via component control. The Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-0.1PbTiO3 (PMN-10PT) crystals exhibit a large strain of ≈0.0744% with small hysteresis under 10 kV cm–1. An unusually large electrostrictive coefficient M33 (9.4 × 10–16 m2 V–2) is achieved in the crystals at room temperature. The decrease in the electrostrictive coefficient of the La3+-doped PMN-10PT is mainly due to the decrease in Curie temperature. This work provides a strategy to boost high-strain, low-hysteresis, and low-electric field electrostrictive materials.