Poled composites with Nd-Mn-doped PZT fibers under bipolar electrical load

Using the sol-gel process, Nd-Mn-doped PZT fibers were produced. The PZT was doped with 2 mol% neodymium and 1.1 mol% manganese. For characterization, the fibers were embedded in a polymer. The resulting 1-3 composites were poled with constant electric field. Strain and polarization were measured by applying a bipolar sinusoidal voltage of high amplitude. Instead of the expected shifted butterfly-shaped strain hysteresis, an asymmetric strain-field relation was observed. It is characterized by a rather linear region in direction of the poling field and an inflated region without strain switching for reversed polarity. Within the temperature range from room temperature to 80 degrees C, the strain switching seems to be suppressed. Measurements of the piezoelectric coefficient at superimposed electric field prove the blocking of strain switching. Cyclation experiments with sesquipolar load show a pronounced linearity of the strain loops that declines after more than 2 x 10(4) cycles.