Lead-free (Bi_1/2Na_1/2)TiO₃ (BNT)-based incipient piezoelectrics are highly promising for high strain actuators, but the high electric fields (4 ~ 6 kV/mm) required for activation limit practical device integration. In the current literature, large strains are frequently attributed to local structural variations like microscopic core-shell architectures. This work systematically investigates an alternative pathway by introducing A-site Strontium (Sr) excess non-stoichiometry into 0.74(Bi_1/2Na_1/2)TiO₃‒0.26SrTiO₃ (BNST26) ceramics. Microstructural and X-ray diffraction analyses reveal highly dense, uniform matrices completely devoid of micro-scale core-shell boundaries or macroscopic symmetry distortions, revealing that Sr non-stoichiometry diverges from typical Bi-excess mechanisms. Interestingly, despite negligible variations in overall macro-scale strain behavior across the composition series, a peak normalized strain (S_max/E_max) of approximately 804 pm/V is achieved at a low driving field of 2 kV/mm for the 1 mol% Sr-excess specimen (x = 0.010). These results indicate that while Sr non-stoichiometry weakly influences nanoscale stability, it can be inferred that subtle modifications of local defect configurations optimize switching energy barriers, enabling high-strain, low-drive-field performance in lead-free relaxors.

This study investigated the low temperature sintering with various templates of Bi-based lead-free piezoelectric ceramics. The effects of using CuO-coated Na_0.5Bi_4.5Ti₄O₁₅ templates on the sintering behavior as well as the dielectric, ferroelectric, and piezoelectric properties of Bi_1/2(Na_0.78K_0.22)_1/2TiO₃ (BNKT) ceramics have been examined. In comparison with the specimens sintered with the Na_0.5Bi_4.5Ti₄O₁₅ templates without CuO coating, those sintered with the CuO-coated Na_0.5Bi_4.5Ti₄O₁₅ templates showed larger template sizes as well as a larger electric field induced strain (S_max/E_max) of 422 pm/V after sintering at temperatures as low as 975℃. These results are promising for low-cost multilayer ceramic actuator applications.