Despite the importance of $\left({\mathrm{Na}}_{1/2}{\mathrm{Bi}}_{1/2}\right)\mathrm{Ti}{\mathrm{O}}_3$ as an end member in lead-free ferroelectrics and as an oxide ion conductor, the relaxor/ferroelectric nature remains unclear. In order to understand the relaxor-like behavior, frequency-dependent macroscopic mechanical measurements of polycrystalline $\left({\mathrm{Na}}_{1/2}{\mathrm{Bi}}_{1/2}\right)\mathrm{Ti}{\mathrm{O}}_3$ were performed as a function of poling state, revealing the role of a potential field-induced long-range ferroelectric order on the nonlinear hysteretic stress-strain behavior. The mechanical measurements showed an increase in remanent strain and decrease in coercive stress with electrical poling, consistent with previous studies of relaxors. Electrical poling and mechanical texturing were found to influence the frequency dispersion of the relative permittivity, highlighting the potentially relaxor-like response. Further, the relative permittivity showed a directional dependence with respect to the previously applied electrical and mechanical fields. These data are discussed in conjunction with ex situ stress- and electric-field-dependent piezoresponse force microscopy measurements that revealed a clear ferroelectric domain switching through the application of a sufficiently high electric field, but no change of the domain configuration for uniaxial compressive stresses up to −750 MPa. The in situ stress-dependent crystal structure, which was characterized using synchrotron x-ray diffraction, however, indicates stress-induced ferroelastic domain switching as the primary hysteretic process.

• Received 23 November 2020
• Revised 27 January 2021
• Accepted 8 March 2021

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.103.094113