Laminated plate formulation for photostrictive actuators and sensors

This paper presents a model for a laminated plate with surface mounted photostrictive materials. The photo-induced electrical, thermal, and mechanical fields in lanthanum zirconate titanate (PLZT) ceramics with 0-3 polarization are considered as the coupled multi-physics fields in PLZT ceramics. The formulation is presented for general multi-physics fields in PLZT ceramics. The actuating and sensing equations are formulated for a 0-3 polarized PLZT laminated plate and they are also applicable to other photostrictive materials such as polymers and semiconductors. The actuated behaviors of a 0-3 polarized PLZT laminated plate subjected to light illumination are investigated and the numerical results calculated using the present formulations are compared with those available in the literatures.