Piezoelectricity is a phenomenon in which materials respond to a mechanical strain by generating electrical polarization or, conversely, respond to an applied external electric field by generating a mechanical strain. While this effect was discovered in the 1880s, this subject remains very active, since it allows for a variety of applications in sensing, actuating, transducing, energy harvest and conversion.
Willatzen’s book is an introduction to the basic concepts of piezoelectricity. It is a pleasure to read and contains careful discussions of symmetry operations, since the lack of centrosymmetry is essential for piezoelectric materials. Optics and photonics students will find a complete chapter dedicated to the optical properties of piezoelectric materials. I highly recommend this book as primary source for graduates and scientists involved in this area of research and engineering.
Review by Christian Brosseau, Optica Fellow and professor of physics, Université de Bretagne Occidentale, Brest, France.