Characterization of PMN-29%PT as a function of temperature and pressure

Piezoelectric single crystal relaxor materials, such as _(x)Pb(Mg_1/3Nb_2/3)O₃ - _(1-x)PbTiO₃ (PMN-PT) have higher performance for ultrasound applications than piezoelectric ceramics. However, phase transitions at relatively low temperatures and external pressures affect their behavior well within the range of operating conditions of underwater sonar and actuators and in non-destructive testing at elevated temperatures. Single crystals with compositions modified to reduce these problems are under development but application-oriented characterization needs attention to allow robust design practices. In this paper, we demonstrate an experimental system to carry out application-oriented characterization of piezoelectric materials for most ultrasonic applications. Variation in key material parameters with temperature, pressure and DC bias are presented for PMN-29%PT single crystal and results for PZ54 piezoceramic and PIN-PMN-PT single crystal are also included for comparison. Furthermore, the possibility of large signal characterization has been explored through analysis of self-heating of single crystal material.