High Piezoelectricity and Temperature Stability via Stabilized Polar Distortion.

Wang, Haowei; Huang, Shengchen; Zheng, Mupeng; Liu, Yilong; Zhang, Mao-Hua; Zhang, Ming; Wu, Bo; Zhao, Chunlin et al. · Adv Mater · 2026

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

Simultaneously combining high piezoelectric performance with excellent thermal stability is essential for piezoelectrics operating under high-temperature conditions, yet these two attributes are often in competition. Here, we propose a design strategy that stabilizes the intrinsic lattice contribution by constructing a mixed-symmetry ferroelectrically distorted state and demonstrate its effectiveness in Pb(Zr<sub>0.53</sub>Ti<sub>0.47</sub>)O<sub>3</sub>-xNb (Nx) ceramics. The optimized N3 composition exhibits a high piezoelectric coefficient d<sub>33</sub> of 550 pC/N and a high Curie temperature T<sub>C</sub> of 367°C. Over the wide temperature range of 25-300°C, the variations in piezoelectric coefficient (d<sub>33</sub>) and electromechanical coupling factor (k<sub>p</sub>) are limited to only 6% and 9%, respectively. In situ temperature-dependent structural analyses reveal that the enhanced piezoelectricity and thermal robustness originate from a ferroelectric distortion that is strongly developed at room temperature due to niobium doping and remains stable up to 300°C, as further corroborated by first-principles calculations and scanning probe microscopy measurements. This mixed-symmetry-stabilization strategy provides a generalizable route to overcoming the conventional trade-off between performance and stability and offers design guidelines for next-generation high-performance piezoceramics tailored for high-temperature applications.