Linear and 3D Defects in Piezoelectric Materials: Useful Imperfections

Figure 1: a) Piezoceramic market by end use . b) Applications require either large strain (soft) or low losses/hysteresis (hard). c) Piezoceramic microstructure with ferroelectric domains ( blue ), pinned by point defects ( orange ) . By Jurij Koruza - It is our imperfections that make us humans interesting. A similar statement can be made for many electroceramics. While oneand multidimensional defects are conventionally being avoided, we demonstrate that their selective use can lead to a strong enhancement of piezoelectric and dielectric properties. Moreover, their stability can help to extend the operating limits of our electronic devices.