Eur. Phys. J. B 42, 373-380 (2004)
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjb/e2004-00393-4

Diffraction study of the piezoelectric properties of low quartz

¹ Laboratoire de Cristallographie et Modélisation des Matériaux Minéraux et Biologiques, UMR-CNRS-7036, Université Henri Poincaré – Nancy I, BP 239, 54 506 Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy Cedex, France
² LURE, Centre Universitaire Paris-Sud, Bât. 209D, BP 34, 91898 Orsay Cedex, France

Corresponding author: ^a pierre.fertey@lcm3b.uhp-nancy.fr

Received: 22 September 2004
Published online: 23 December 2004

Abstract

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.