This book describes the application of piezoelectric materials, particularly piezoceramics, in the wide field of actuators and sensors. It gives a step-by-step introduction to the structure and mechanics of piezoelectric beam bending actuators in multilayer technology, which are of increasing importance for industrial applications. The book presents the suitability of the developed theoretical aspects in a memorable way.

Rüdiger G. Ballas was born in 1971 in Blieskastel, Germany. After finishing education as an assistant in physics at the Technical School for Natural Sciences Ludwigshafen, Germany, he received the diploma in microsystemtechnology in 1999 from the University of Applied Sciences Kaiserslautern, Germany. From 1999 until 2001 he worked with Tele Quarz in Neckarbischofsheim, Germany, where he was head of the group concerning microstructuring of AT-quartz crystals and development of high-frequency inverted MESA-quartzes. From 2001 until 2006 he worked as a Ph.D. student at Darmstadt University of Technology in the field of piezoelectric bending multilayer actuators with integrated sensors for tip deflection measurements. He received the Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering in 2006 from Darmstadt University of Technology. His actual research fields are theoretical mechanics, electromechanical system theory and modeling of the nonlinear behavior of piezoelectric actuators.