The piezoelectric effect

In spite of the successful production of a variety of piezoelectric devices, the true origin of the piezoelectric effect is often obscure and the devices not necessarily optimised. Consideration of the underlying electromechanical physics of the phenomenon shows that it is closely associated with double layers of nanometric dimension generated in the dielectric as a result of poling action. Since double layers appear in a wide range of dielectric situations, piezoelectric action can be expected in liquids as well as solids and in fields ranging from microelectronics to biology. The significance of the piezoelectric double layer as a nanometric electromechanical (NEM) device and its role in nano-dielectrics and in biology is emphasised.