Domain switching anisotropy in textured bismuth titanate ceramics

In a poled ferroelectric ceramic, the probability of crystallographic poles oriented in any given specimen direction is the multiple of both the initial crystallographic texture and the domain switching fraction. In this paper, the non-180 degrees domain switching fraction is shown to be dependent on the initial crystallographic texture and poling direction in tape cast Na0.5Bi4.5Ti4O15 ceramics. The domain switching fraction is 0.18 out of a maximum of 0.50 when poled in a direction in which most of the possible ferroelastic structural distortions are oriented (tape casting plane) whereas no non-180 degrees domain switching is discernable when poled in a less-preferred direction. The mechanism for domain switching anisotropy in textured bismuth titanate ceramics is suggested to be the synergistic alignment of ferroelastic structural distortions, analogous to the mechanical clamping conditions in poling ferroelastic thin films. (c) 2005 American Institute of Physics