Piezoelectric and electrostrictive transducers, sensors, actuators, and smart materials

Abstract

This talk will discuss recent developments in large area acoustic sensors that become possible using composite piezoelectric transducers. The design rules for the composites will be briefly reviewed and the immense improvement in figure of merit that can be encompassed will be delineated. The development of materials for agile switching transducer arrays will be discussed and electrostrictive materials described that can be controlled for both phase and amplitude in transmit and receive modes. Polarization control in the electrostrictive family of electroceramics permits both direct dc field control and a pulsed charge control mode with memory capability so that large arrays can be rapidly switched by a limited number of supplies. In actuator systems, the development of multilayer actuator materials will be traced and new possibilities for ultrahigh‐strain materials discussed. The theme will again be electrical polarization control to exploit the large dimension changes that occur in domain and phase change antiferroelectrics and ferroelectrics. In the composite systems, a logical extension of current work is to explore possible systems that incorporate both sensor and responder in the same material coupled together by active solid‐state electronics. Systems that seek to control elastic compliance in this manner will be discussed and preliminary measurements of the controlled response presented. Extension of this concept to alternative systems will be considered.