Mn-doped Pb(In1/2Nb1/2)O3-Pb(Mg2/3Nb1/3)O3-PbTiO3 (Mn:PIN-PMN-PT) single crystals, which exhibit improved phase transition temperatures and coercive field properties compared to Pb(In1/2 Nb1/2)O3-Pb(Mg2/3Nb1/3)O3-PbTiO3 (PIN-PMNPT) single crystals, are expected to be utilized in high-power acoustic transducers. Bridgeman method, growing single crystals along the axial direction from melt, is most widely used method for single crystal growth with large size and high quality. However, single crystal boules grown by the Bridgeman method demonstrate a PT compositional variation, giving rise a distribution of crystal structure and material properties along the growing axis. To employ piezoelectric single crystals grown by the Bridgeman method for acoustic transducers, it is essential to investigate their overall property distribution. In this study, the compositional distribution and property variation of Mn:PIN-PMN-PT single crystals grown by the Bridgeman method was investigated. Measured compositional distribution of PT was from 29% to 32.5% in the Rhombohedral crystal region of the boule. Two types of specimen, [011]-poled Mn:PIN-PMN-29PT and Mn:PIN-PMN-32PT single crystals, were fabricated and tested to obtain full property variation at both ends of the Rhombohedral crystal region. The properties related to the 32 directional vibration mode and the properties related to high-power driving were measured to confirm the overall distribution of properties by composition.
[011] poled ternary Pb(In1/2Nb1/2)O3-Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-PbTiO3 (PIN-PMN-PT) single crystals have been investigated for active materials for acoustic transducers because of their high piezoelectric properties in both shear and transverse modes. In order to use [011] poled PIN-PMN-PT single crystals for acoustic transducers, the characterization of full-matrix material properties is required. In this study, full sets of compliance, dielectric, and piezoelectric constants of [011] poled rhombohedral PIN-PMN-PT were measured by a resonance method. Dimensions and geometries of 12 samples were proposed for measuring 17 independent material constants of [011] poled rhombohedral PIN-PMN-PT single crystals. Two sets of samples with different PT concentrations, 0.24PIN-0.49PMN-0.27PT and 0.24PIN-0.46PMN-0.30PT, were fabricated and their material properties were measured. Measured impedance spectra and simulated impedance spectra of the samples were compared to check the accuracy of the measurements.
In this paper, the growing orientation of PMN-PT single crystal is analyzed using the Laue-Back Reflection Method. Two kinds of PMN-PT single crystals are grown using the Bridgman growing method in the [001] and [111] directions and their the Laue photographs are simulated assuming cubic crystal systems. From the comparison between simulation and test results, it can be concluded that the single crystals are grown in the desired crystal orientations.