Electrocaloric Effect of Lead Magnesium Niobate-lead Titanate (PMN-PT) Ceramics

doi:10.15541/jim20250077

Abstract

Abstract:

Electrocaloric refrigeration technology has emerged as a research hotspot in solid-state cooling due to its advantages of high energy efficiency, miniaturization potential and environmental friendliness. However, achieving a large adiabatic temperature change (ΔT) and a wide operation temperature (T_span) under low electric fields remains challenging. In this study, a new type of ceramics, (1-x)Pb(Mg_1/3Nb_2/3)O₃-xPbTiO₃ (PMN-PT, x=0.08, 0.10, 0.12, 0.14) ferroelectric relaxor with different PT contents, was synthesized via a conventional solid-state reaction method. The influence of PT concentration on their electrocaloric performance was investigated. Results indicate that increasing PT content weakens their relaxor characteristics, reduces their dielectric frequency dispersion, and drives their relaxor ferroelectric behavior toward normal ferroelectric. Notably, the 0.88PMN-0.12PT ceramic exhibits outstanding electrocaloric properties under a low electric field of 50 kV/cm, achieving a maximum ΔT of 1.60 K, with ΔT exceeding 0.5 K across a broad temperature range of 30-180 ℃. Piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) reveals its uniformly distributed long-range ferroelectric domain structure. The electrocaloric effect originates from entropy changes induced by transition of ferroelectric domains from an ordered to a disordered state during electric field unloading. By integrating dielectric, ferroelectric and domain structure analyses, the diffuse phase transition of relaxor ferroelectrics is correlated to their wide-temperature-range electrocaloric performance. This study provides theoretical guidance for designing lead-based electrocaloric materials compatible with low-field driving and wide temperature ranges, which has potential for applications in solid-state refrigeration devices.

Key words: lead magnesium niobate-lead titanate, electrocaloric effect, relaxor ferroelectric, wide operating temperature

CLC Number:

TB321

JIANG Niyu, SUN Haochen, LIN Mingmei, WANG Dingyuan, LIU Laijun. Electrocaloric Effect of Lead Magnesium Niobate-lead Titanate (PMN-PT) Ceramics[J]. Journal of Inorganic Materials, 2026, 41(1): 96-104.

Figures/Tables 11

Fig. 1 XRD patterns of (1-x)PMN-xPT ceramics

Fig. 2 (a) SEM image and (b) grain size distribution of 0.88PMN-0.12PT ceramic

Fig. 3 Temperature dependence of dielectric spectra and dielectric loss of (1-x)PMN-xPT ceramics (a) x=0.08; (b) x=0.10; (c) x=0.12; (d) x=0.14

Fig. 4 Lorentz fitting relationships of (1-x)PMN-xPT ceramics at 10 kHz (a) x=0.08; (b) x=0.10; (c) x=0.12; (d) x=0.14

Fig. 5 Variations of dielectric constants of (1-x)PMN-xPT ceramics with logarithm of frequency at room temperature

Fig. 6 Evolution of P-E loops in the range of 30-180 ℃ in an applied electric field of 30 kV/cm for (1-x)PMN-xPT ceramics (a) x=0.08; (b) x=0.10; (c) x=0.12; (d) x=0.14

Fig. 7 Temperature dependence of pyroelectric coefficient (∂P/∂T)E in selected electric fields for (1-x)PMN-xPT ceramics (a) x=0.08; (b) x=0.10; (c) x=0.12; (d) x=0.14

Fig. 8 Temperature dependence of ΔT in the electric field range of 10-30 kV/cm for (1-x)PMN-xPT ceramics (a) x=0.08; (b) x=0.10; (c) x=0.12; (d) x=0.14

Fig. 9 Electrocaloric properties of 0.88PMN-0.12PT ceramics in an applied electric field of 50 kV/cm (a) Evolution of P-E loops from 30 ℃ to 180 ℃; (b) Temperature dependence of pyroelectric coefficient (∂P⁄∂T)E; (c) Temperature dependence of ΔT

Fig. 10 PFM amplitude images and PFM phase images for 0.88PMN-0.12PT ceramic (a) 20 μm×20 μm; (b) 5 μm×5 μm

Fig. 11 Comparison of ΔT and Tspan for different lead- based ceramics[22,34 -41]

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