Instabilities In Piezoelectric Properties Of Ceramic Sensors And Actuators Under Extreme Conditions

The longitudinal piezoelectric effect in ferroelectric ceramics is investigated as a function of amplitude and frequency of external pressure, the crystal structure and microstructure of ceramics. The domain wall contribution to the piezoelectric response is the dominant extrinsic origin of the instability of the observed piezoelectric effect, but, for a given composition, can be affected by dopants and microstructure. Other sources of instabilities in piezoelectric response, such as chemical inhomogeneities and defects, are also discussed.