Review on Piezoelectric, Ultrasonic, and Magnetoelectric Actuators

Piezoelectric actuators operating in piezoelectric-induced strain/stress or electromechanical resonance-induced vibration or wave-motion friction drive mechanism have shown many advantages over traditional electromagnetic motors, especially, when miniaturizing into millimeter-scale size, while magnetoelectric actuators operating in magnetostrictive mechanism are capable of piezoelectric self-sensing and remote operation under an applied magnetic field. This paper summarizes the recent progresses in piezoelectric ceramic and single crystal materials based actuators and micromotors, ferromagnetic/ferroelectric laminated magnetoelectric actuators, including rotary, linear, planner, and spherical motion actuators, and bending motion magnetoelectric actuators. Their driving mechanisms, operation properties, and applications are also explained.