Study reveals missing boundary in PZT phase diagram

(Phys.org) --Piezoelectric materials, which produce electricity in response to mechanical stress, account for a $12 billion global industry that is projected to grow at a rate of 13.2% per year, according to a recent report by Innovative Research and Products. And yet the origins of the widely applicable piezoelectric properties of one of the most common piezoelectric materials are not fully understood. This lack of understanding is due to the complex nature of the material's underlying crystal ...