We present calculations on the deformation of twoand three-layer electret systems. The electrical field is coupled with the stress-strain equations by means of the Maxwell stress tensor. In the simulations, two-phase systems are considered, and intrinsic relative dielectric permittivity and Young’s modulus of the phases are altered. The numerically calculated electro-mechanical activity is comp...

In this work, using a combination of a theoretical framework and atomistic calculations, we highlight the concept of “surface piezoelectricity,” which can be used to interpret the piezoelectricity of nanostructures. Focusing on three specific material systems (ZnO, SrTiO3, and BaTiO3), we discuss the renormalization of apparent piezoelectric behavior at small scales. In a rather interesting int...

Recent work has demonstrated piezoelectric behavior in voided polymers. It is thought that the piezoelectricity results from the creation of space charges bordering the voids when the material is exposed to an electric field in excess of the breakdown strength. The resulting voided piezoelectric material is more flexible than conventional piezoelectric ceramics, and may be far less expensive to...