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April 19 (UPI) – The researchers found that the addition of a rare earth metal significantly improves the performance of piezoelectric crystals.
Piezoelectric crystals are used in sensors, including underwater sonars and medical ultrasound imaging devices. These technologies use perovskite oxide crystals or PMN-PT crystals.
Scientists have also been trying to use piezoelectric crystals, which convert mechanical oscillations into electricity, to power portable electronic components and other types of new technologies.
An international team of scientists from Australia, China and the United States has found a way to improve the performance of PMN-PT crystals. Scientists added samarium atoms during the crystal growth process – a samarium atom per thousand atoms of the parent crystal – and discovered that the additive created more homogeneous piezoelectric properties inside the crystal , thus improving the performance of the crystal.
The piezoelectric coefficient, quantized in picocoulombs by Newton, describes the effectiveness of the piezoelectric properties of a material. More efficient piezoelectric crystals do more with less.
In laboratory tests, scientists have confirmed that conventional PMN-PT crystals have a piezoelectric coefficient of between 1,200 and 2,500 pC / N. Samarium-enriched PMN-PT crystals produced from 3,400 to 4,100. pC / N.
Scientists also noted that adding samarium gives crystals more uniform or homogeneous physical properties.
"These crystals are ideal for a variety of sensing applications and could reduce costs by eliminating waste," wrote researchers in their study, published this week in the journal Science.
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