Variation With Temperature of the Piezoelectric Effect in Quartz

As a result of some previous experiments there were indications that the elastic vibrations set up in quartz showed an anomalous property at the temperature of liquid helium. In order to decide this point, experiments were carried out on the piezoelectric activity of quartz at progressively lower temperatures until that of liquid helium was reached. Although a decrease in this activity of only 1% had been observed by others working over the range from room temperature to liquid hydrogen temperatures, the present experiments show a total decrease of 12% at the temperature of liquid helium. Two methods were used, a statical method employed where the temperature could be held constant, and a dynamical method to ascertain the temperature at which any marked change in activity would just become evident. Results by the dynamical method indicate that a sudden decrease in activity occurs at about 5° K. In addition, the dynamical method was extended to higher temperatures, so as to include in this paper values of the piezoelectric activity of quartz from 4° K. to 813° K.