Auxetic behavior under electrical loads in an induced ferroelectric phase

The longitudinal and transverse strains were measured as a function of applied electric fields in a bulk ceramic sample of Pb0.99Nb0.02[(Zr0.57Sn0.43)0.94Ti0.06]0.98O3 at room temperature. Instead of a transverse contraction, a transverse expansion was observed in the electric-field-induced ferroelectric phase after the antiferroelectric-to-ferroelectric phase transition. Therefore, an auxetic behavior was established in monolithic ferroelectric polycrystalline ceramics under electrical loads. The behavior is characterized by a negative strain ratio that is analogous to the Poisson’s ratio. The transverse expansion leads to a large hydrostatic piezoelectric coefficient dh, which suggests new applications of antiferroelectric ceramics in piezoelectric devices.