Spectral analysis of the electromechanical response of an electroactive material by implementation of Fourier decomposition

Implementation of a discrete Fourier transform in conjunction with Devonshire phenomenology allows the electromechanical response of an electroactive material to be fully characterized. The main thrust of this examination is the incorporation of signal decomposition through Fourier analysis to quantify the electro-mechanical and aging properties. Fourier analysis is a well-used technique in the electrical engineering community; however, it has not been applied to materials. The application presented here allows a fresh look at some old phenomena. The spectral representation provides to the underlying physics of the response, i.e., odd harmonics only exist for acentric materials. The ability to create the harmonic spectrum also provides a new way to characterize the effects of aging by revealing subtle changes in the fundamental components that comprise the response. This study shows how Fourier analysis can be applied to a PMN-PT-BT composition to characterize and quantify its electromechanical properties.