ABSTRACT
This chapter is written to refresh the reader’s knowledge on the theoretical background of piezoelectrics, then, practical materials, and typical applications. We cover (1) crystal structure and ferroelectricity, Dielectrics > Piezoelectrics > Pyroelectrics > Ferroelectrics; (2) origin of spontaneous polarization, the dipole coupling with the local field (i.e., Lorentz factor), in conjunction with nonlinear atomic elasticity; (3) origin of field-induced strain, which includes (a) Inverse Piezoelectric Effect: x = d·E, (b) Electrostriction: x = M·E 2, (c) Domain reorientation: strain hysteresis – this is mostly discussed in this textbook, and (d) Phase Transition (antiferroelectric↔ferroelectric): strain jump; (4) piezoelectric constitutive equations, x = sEX + d·E, D = d·X + ε 0 εXE; (5) ferroelectric materials; and (6) applications of ferroelectrics.
