An automated computational strategy is devised for the ab initio determination of the full fourth-rank piezo-optic tensor of crystals belonging to any space group of symmetry. Elastic stiffness and compliance constants are obtained as numerical first derivatives of analytical energy gradients with respect to the strain and photo-elastic constants as numerical derivatives of analytical dielectri...

The prospect of tuning and enhancing multiple properties of ZnO from optical, electrical, piezo to ferroelectricity/magnetism with Cu dopants will certainly spur the pursuit of facile doping methodology to immensely advance this field of research. Here, a one-step aqueous synthesis of Cu-doped ZnO nanostructured materials with effective controllability over the morphology (film to nanowire) and...

2. INTRODUCTION Piezoelectric effects are of increasing importance in the control and sensing of structural element deflections. Elastic piezoelectric theory has been extensively developed (Leibowitz & Vinson 1993). Hilton et al. (1997) have presented an extended bibliography and discussed past contributions as well as formulated an analytical nonlinear theory of anisotropic piezoelectric-therm...

We present a new type of piezoelectric nanopositioner called KoalaDrive which can have a diameter less than 2.5 mm and a length smaller than 10 mm. The new operating principle provides a smooth travel sequence and avoids shaking which is intrinsic to nanopositioners based on inertial motion with sawtooth driving signals. In scanning probe microscopy, the KoalaDrive can be used for the coarse ap...