High-frequency strain response in ferroelectrics and its measurement using a modified Mach-Zehnder interferometer

In this paper we report on a modified Mach-Zehnder interferometer which is capable of measuring the ultrashort time strain response of a sample. Using this instrument, the dispersion of piezoelectric and electrostrictive coefficients of several commonly used ferroelectrics was measured. The strain switching behavior of lead lanthanum zirconate titanate (PLZT) 9/65/35 driven by a square pulse electric field was studied. The results show that the switching rise time of the strain response for PLZT 9/65/35 can be much shorter than 5 μs at a pulse field strength near 25 kV/cm and that the fall time of the strain response is considerably shorter than the rise time in the experimental field strength range.