Piezoelectric Effect — FRCA Primary MCQ

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HardPhysics & Clinical MeasurementPiezoelectric EffectFRCA Primary

A poled ferroelectric piezoceramic used in an ultrasound transducer is heated until it undergoes a transition to a paraelectric phase, with loss of spontaneous polarization and stable domain alignment. At which material-specific temperature does this phase transition occur?

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Correct answer: D — The Curie temperature

The correct answer is D, the Curie temperature. In a poled ferroelectric piezoceramic, heating through the Curie temperature produces a ferroelectric-to-paraelectric phase transition. Long-range spontaneous polarization and stable domain alignment are lost, eliminating the macroscopic piezoelectric response on which the transducer depends. The value is material-specific, and practical operating limits are usually below it because depolarisation and performance deterioration may begin earlier. The Néel temperature applies to antiferromagnetic ordering, while a compensation temperature concerns cancellation of opposing magnetic sublattices. The glass-transition temperature describes the change in mobility of an amorphous material, and the Debye temperature characterises lattice-vibration energy rather than ferroelectric domain ordering.

Reference: Meng Y, Chen G, Huang M. Piezoelectric Materials: Properties, Advancements, and Design Strategies for High-Temperature Applications. Nanomaterials. 2022;12(7):1171. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35407289/