Context: Piezoelectricity is a fascinating process where certain materials, like quartz and lead zirconate titanate (PZT), create electric charges when they are squeezed or stressed. In this article we are going to discuss more about it in detail.

About Piezoelectricity

• The name "piezoelectric" comes from Greek words meaning 'to squeeze' and amber's association with static electricity.

• Piezoelectricity (also called the piezoelectric effect) is the appearance of an electrical potential (a voltage, in other words) across the sides of a crystal when you subject it to mechanical stress.

• In the reverse piezoelectric effect, a crystal becomes mechanically stressed (deformed in shape) when a voltage is applied across its opposite faces.

• Thus, Piezoelectric materials allow the conversion of energy from the mechanical domain to the electrical domain and vice versa.

• It is due to the spontaneous separation of charge with certain crystal structures under the right conditions.

• There are a wide variety of materials which exhibit this phenomenon, including natural quartz crystals, semi-crystalline polyvinylidene polymer, polycrystalline piezoceramic, bone and even wood.

• Some materials can even turn electric currents into physical movements. These materials are widely used in devices like sensors and accelerometers because they are great at turning mechanical signals into electrical ones.

• This effect is what made quartz watches so popular and affordable, as they use this technology to work.

Applications

• They can be used to create various sensors or actuators.

• Piezoelectric transducers are common in ultrasonic applications, such as intrusion detectors and alarms. 

• Piezoelectric devices are employed at AF(audio frequencies) as pickups, microphones, earphones, beepers, and buzzers. 

• In wireless applications, piezoelectricity makes it possible to use crystals and ceramics as oscillators that generate predictable and stable signals at RF (radio frequencies).