Enhanced electrostrains in PMN–xPZN solid solutions driven by a rather small electric field

Pb(Mg_1/3Nb_2/3)O₃ (PMN) relaxors have gained a lot of interest due to their unusual dielectric relaxation and high electrostrictive electrostrain. However, the T_m (temperature associated with maximum permittivity) of PMN is lower than room temperature, which limits their future development of electrostrain and practical applications. In this study, we increased the T_m by incorporating a relaxor ferroelectric (FE) end member Pb(Zn_1/3Nb_2/3)O₃ (PZN) rather than a conventional high Curie temperature FE end member to create (1−x)PMN–xPZN solid solutions with x = 0.2–0.5. Their dielectric, FE, and electrostrain properties were systematically investigated. In x = 0.4 composition, we get a maximum electrostrain of 0.134% and an equivalent piezoelectric coefficient (Figure presented.) of 936 pm/V under a rather small driving field of 5 kV/cm. Furthermore, the electrostrain of the x = 0.5 is greater than 0.1% between 20 and 80°C, indicating its possible applicability in precision displacement actuators. Our findings not only clarify the electrostrain and electrostrictive properties of (1 − x)PMN–xPZN system but also show an innovative way to improve electrostrain properties by constructing relaxor–relaxor type solid solutions that can be applied to other FE systems.