Diffraction study of the piezoelectric properties of low quartz

The effect of a static electric field on the crystal structure of -quartz has been determined by Xray diffraction on single crystals. By a stroboscopic technique rocking curves are measured quasi simultaneously for zero field and for two opposite strong fields (28.8 kV/cm) applied in the direction of the crystallographic a-axis. The relative intensity-changes of high order reflections (i.e. sensitive to the core electrons) were measured and analysed by a least squares method technique. The analysis indicates that the bond distances Si-O are very little affected by the field, but both a deformation and a reorientation of the SiO₄ tetrahedra are induced. The model is qualitatively in agreement with the small amplitudes of the induced polarisation and the piezoelectric coefficients.Received: 22 September 2004, Published online: 23 December 2004PACS: 61.10.Nz X-ray diffraction - 77.65.-j Piezoelectricity and electromechanical effects - 77.22.Ej Polarization and depolarization - 07.85.Qe Synchrotron radiation instrumentation