Domain engineering of Pb[(Zn/sub 1/3/Nb/sub 2/3/)/sub 0.91/Ti/sub 0.09/]O/sub 3/ single crystals and piezoelectric related properties

The domain configuration and the electromechanical related properties have been studied in Pb[(Zn/sub 1/3/Nb/sub 2/3/)/sub 0.91/Ti/sub 0.09/]O/sub 3/ (PZN-9%PT) single crystals cut along [001] and [101~]. It was established that soft (with high d) and hard (with lower d) piezoelectric properties are respectively obtained in a multidomain and a single domain configuration. The softer piezoelectric material (d/sub 33/ = 2700 pC/N, s/sub 33//sup E/ = 180 pN/m/sup 2/, k/sub 33/ = 93%) was found in the monoclinic multidomain state after poling with a small field along [001]. Optimal poling process and electromechanical related properties of the single crystals were discussed in term of the field-temperature diagram.