Ferroelectric domain evolution in 0.9625Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3−0.0375BiZn0.5Ti0.5O3 piezoceramic

The domain evolution of 0.9625Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3−0.0375BiZn0.5Ti0.5O3 ceramic is studied by piezoelectric force microscopy. Nanodomains are the most common in the as-prepared ceramic, and they can transform to monodomain in a micrometer-scale grain under a large external electric field, which corresponds to a maximum piezoelectric d33 coefficient. After the field is removed, the mondomain commonly decomposes gradually, and occasionally it transforms to periodic stripe-like domains. This experiment exhibits the domain evolution during poling and depoling processes of a normal ferroelectric ceramic, which is different from ergodic relaxors.