The piezoelectric effect refers to a change in electric polarization that is produced in certain materials when they are subjected to mechanical stresses. This stress-dependent change in polarization manifests as a measurable potential difference across the material.  One of the unique characteristics of the piezoelectric effect is that it is reversible, meaning that materials exhibiting the direct piezoelectric effect (the generation of electricity when stress is applied) also exhibit the inverse piezoelectric effect (the generation of stress when an electric field is applied). 

Key Features

Typical Applications

Piezoelectric materials are widely used in compact actuators such as linear motors, rotary motors, pumps and inkjet printers, and sensors, such as pressure sensors and load cells. In microfluidic devices or lab-on-a-chip systems, the direct piezoelectric effect is used in micro-scale chemical and biological sensors.  For example, high-precision mass measurement devices measure the weight of  biological cells or molecules  based on resonant frequency shifts experienced by the piezoelectric resonators.  Acoustic transducer use piezoelectric materials to generate sound waves which are used in biological cell manipulation, such as cell focusing and sorting.