Piezo-Active Composites: MicrogeometrySensitivity Relations (Springer Series in Materials Science, 271)

This book is devoted to the systematic description of the role of microgeometry of modern piezo-active composites in the formation of their piezoelectric sensitivity. In five chapters, the authors analyse kinds of piezoelectric sensitivity for piezo-active composites with specific connectivity patterns and links between the microgeometric feature and piezoelectric response. The role of components and microgeometric factors is discussed in the context of the piezoelectric properties and their anisotropy in the composites. Interrelations between different types of the piezoelectric coefficients are highlighted. This book fills a gap in piezoelectric materials science and provides readers with data on the piezoelectric performance of novel composite materials that are suitable for sensor, transducer, hydroacoustic, energy-harvesting, and other applications. 

Vitaly Yuryevich Topolov earned the qualification “Physicist. Educator” (honours degree) in 1984 along with the degrees “Candidate of Sciences (Physics and Mathematics)” and “Doctor of Sciences (Physics and Mathematics)” in 1987 and 2000, respectively, all from the Rostov State University, Russia. From 1987 to 1991, he worked as a research scientist of the Institute of Physics at the Rostov State University. From 1991 to 2000, he worked as a Senior Lecturer (1991–1992) and an Associate Professor (1992–2000) of the Department of Physics at the Rostov State University. Since 2000, he has been Professor of the same Department. Since December 2006, after reforming the Rostov State University, he is Professor of the Department of Physics at the Southern Federal University (Rostov-on-Don, Russia).

Dr. V. Yu. Topolov was also a visiting scientist at the Moscow State University, Russia (former USSR, 1989), University of Saarland, Germany (1994–1995), Aachen University of Technology – RWTH Aachen, Germany (1998), Karlsruhe Research Center, Germany (2002 and 2003–2004), University of Bath, UK (2006, 2007, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015), and University of Rome Tor Vergata, Italy (2008). His research interests include heterogeneous ferroelectrics, smart materials, domain and heterophase structures, as well as electromechanical effects in ferroelectrics and related materials. He earned the special award from the International Science Foundation (1993) and the Soros Associate Professor title and awards from the International Soros Science-Educational Program and the Open Society Institute (1997, 1998, 2000, and 2001).  He authored and edited 7 books and 430 scientific papers .

He is a honorary member of Higher Professional Education of the Russian Federation (Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia, 2009).

Christopher Rhys Bowen earned a BSc (First Class) in Materials Science at the School of Materials, University of Bath, UK in 1990 and worked on his DPhil thesis in ceramic manufacture under the supervision of Prof. Brian Derby in the Department of Materials, University of Oxford, UK in 1990–1993 (PhD awarded in 1994). In 1993–1994, he worked as a Researcher in the Advanced Ceramics Group at the Technical University of Hamburg-Harburg (TUHH), Germany under the supervision of Prof. Nils Claussen. From 1994 to 1996, he was research fellow at the School of Materials, University of Leeds, UK working with Prof. Ron Stevens. From 1996 to 1998, he was a Senior Scientist at the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA), Functional Materials Group, UK working on ferroelectric ceramics and composites. He joined the University of Bath, UK in August 1998, and now he is a Professor at the same University.

Paolo Bisegna earned a MSc (First Class) in Engineering at the University of Naples “Federico II”, Naples, Italy in 1991, and a MSc (First Class) in Mathematics at the University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy in 1994, where he earned a MD (First Class) at the School of Medicine.