Prebreakdown State and Its Diagnostics in Multilayer 0.55Pb–Mg 1/3 Nb 2/3 O 3 –0.45PbSc 1/2 Nb 1/2 O 3 Compounds

The determination of the breakdown voltage and the diagnostics of the prebreakdown state of a material is a topical problem of studying characteristics of insulating materials and structures based on them when applying an external electric field. The new effective method of the diagnostics of the prebreakdown state of multilayer structures (MLC) based on the ferroelectric–relaxor 0.55Pb–Mg 1/3 Nb 2/3 O 3 –0.45-PbSc 1/2 Nb 1/2 O 3 (PMN–PSN) is considered. The method is based on an analysis of the dynamics of changing the MLC surface temperature during applying an external electric field. A series of the MLC samples has been tested under action of electric field E = 10–120 kV/cm and the ambient temperature from room temperature to 80°C. The critical electric field that characterizes the prebreakdown state of the PMN–PSN multilayer structures and, correspondingly, restricts the upper limit of operating voltages for the electrocaloric applications has been determined.