Giant strain with low cycling degradation in Ta-doped [Bi1/2(Na0.8K0.2)1/2]TiO3 lead-free ceramics

Non-textured polycrystalline [Bi1/2(Na0.8K0.2)1/2](Ti1−xTax)O3 ceramics are fabricated and their microstructures and electrical properties are characterized. Transmission electron microscopy reveals the coexistence of the rhombohedral R3c and tetragonal P4bm phases in the form of nanometer-sized domains in [Bi1/2(Na0.8K0.2)1/2]TiO3 with low Ta concentration. When the composition is x = 0.015, the electrostrain is found to be highly asymmetric under bipolar fields of ±50 kV/cm. A very large value of 0.62% is observed in this ceramic, corresponding to a large-signal piezoelectric coefficient d33* of 1240 pm/V (1120 pm/V under unipolar loading). These values are greater than most previously reported lead-free polycrystalline ceramics and can even be compared with some lead-free piezoelectric single crystals. Additionally, this ceramic displays low cycling degradation; its electrostrain remains above 0.55% even after undergoing 10 000 cycles of ±50 kV/cm bipolar fields at 2 Hz. Therefore, Ta-doped [Bi1/2(Na0.8K0.2)1/2]TiO3 ceramics show great potential for large displacement devices.