Time-dependent behavior of a lead titanate zirconate wafer under constant electric fields at high temperatures

A commercially available lead titanate zirconate (PZT) wafer that is poled in thickness direction is subjected to various constant magnitudes of through thickness electric field for about 1800 s and a subsequent zero electric field for about 1000 s at four different high temperatures. During the whole period of loading time, the variations of the electric displacement in thickness direction and the in-plane strain are measured and discussed in terms of mesoscopic domain switching and macroscopic polarization vector. It is found that the magnitude of the electric field needed for switching decreases with increase in temperature. The values of various material properties at high temperatures are also estimated. Finally, the linear relation between remanent through thickness polarization and remanent in-plane strain near the two opposite poled states is obtained and the role of the remanent polarization in thickness direction as a single macroscopic state variable is discussed.