The First-Principle Calculation of La-doping Effect on Piezoelectricity in Tetragonal KNN Crystal

The La-dopping effect on the piezoelectricity in the K_0.5Na₀.₅NbO₃ crystal with a tetragonal phase is investigated for the first time using the first-principle calculation based on density functional theory. The full potentiallinearized augumented plane wave plus local orbitals (APW-LO) method and the supercell method are used in the calculation for the KNN crystal with and without the La doping. The results show that the piezoelectricity originates from the strong hybridization between the Nb atom and the O atom, and the substitution of the K or Na atom by the La impurity atom introduces the anisotropic relaxation and enhances the piezoelectricity at first and then restrains the hybridization of the Nb-O atoms when the La doping content further increases.