High-Temperature Piezoelectric Materials and Sensing Applications

High-temperature piezoelectric materials enable direct electromechanical transduction under extreme thermal conditions, extending the reach of precision sensing into aerospace engines, automotive exhaust systems, power-generation turbines and material-processing environments. Oxide crystals such as langasite (La₃Ga₅SiO₁₄) and its analogues, rare-earth calcium oxyborates and phosphate-based compounds are among the most promising candidates, owing to their high Curie temperatures, stable piezoelectric coefficients and low dielectric losses at temperatures exceeding 600 °C. Key performance parameters include electromechanical coupling, acoustic quality factor, thermal expansion compatibility and electrical resistivity at elevated temperature. Sensor incarnations span high-temperature accelerometers, pressure transducers, surface acoustic wave devices and ultrasonic emitters capable of operating above 800 °C. Progress in crystal-growth techniques, epitaxial oxide electrodes, hermetic packaging and assembly methods has mitigated electrode degradation, interfacial diffusion and thermal-mechanical stresses. Continued optimisation of material composition, crystal orientation and device architecture promises robust, high-precision sensing solutions for harsh environments, underpinning safety, efficiency and predictive maintenance across critical industries.

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High-Temperature Piezoelectric Materials and Sensing Applications publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in high-temperature piezoelectric materials and sensing applications across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Piezoelectricity: The generation of electric charge in a material upon application of mechanical stress, and the converse effect of strain under an applied electric field.

Curie temperature: The temperature above which a ferroelectric or piezoelectric material loses its spontaneous polarisation and associated piezoelectric properties.

Electromechanical coupling coefficient: A measure of the efficiency with which a piezoelectric material converts electrical energy into mechanical energy (or vice versa).

Acoustic quality factor (Q-factor): A dimensionless parameter describing the ratio of stored to dissipated acoustic energy per cycle, indicating the sharpness of resonance and energy loss.

Bulk acoustic wave resonator: A device in which acoustic waves propagate through the volume of a piezoelectric crystal to sense or filter signals, often used at high temperatures due to its robustness.

References

1. High-Temperature Piezoelectric Sensing. Sensors (2013).
2. Rare-Earth Calcium Oxyborate Piezoelectric Crystals ReCa4O(BO3)3: Growth and Piezoelectric Characterizations. Crystals (2014).
3. High-temperature electromechanical loss in piezoelectric langasite and catangasite crystals. Journal of Applied Physics (2021).
4. High-temperature stable piezoelectric transducers using epitaxially grown electrodes. Journal of Sensors and Sensor Systems (2020).
5. Ultrahigh‐Temperature Piezoelectric Crystal YbBa3(PO4)3 for Vibration Sensing Application. Advanced Sensor Research (2023).
6. Assembly and interconnection technology for high-temperature bulk acoustic wave resonators. Journal of Sensors and Sensor Systems (2022).