Output details

Lone-Pair-Induced Covalency as the Cause of Temperature- and Field-Induced Instabilities in Bismuth Sodium Titanate

There is major research effort worldwide to replace the lead-containing compound piezoelectric PZT, which currently dominates the electronics market. Birmingham were approached by Graz University of Technology and the Institut für Struktur- und Funktionskeramik in Austria (funded by TDK) to characterise the promising alternative Bismuth Sodium Tantalate. Our unique measurement using Raman spectroscopy in high electric fields was central to the elucidation of mechanisms underlying the fundamental behaviour of these piezoelectric materials (i.e. order-disorder transitions and symmetry changes). The work, published in a high-impact journal was funded by the local development agency under the Science City Initiative.