Cryogenic Actuators and Motors Using Single Crystal Piezoelectrics

Novel piezoelectric actuators (stack actuator and flextensional actuator) and ultrasonic motors are presented for cryogenic actuations utilizing the excellent cryogenic properties of recently invented single crystal piezoelectrics (PMN‐PT and PZN‐PT crystals). Single crystal piezoelectrics exhibit large increases in strain over conventional piezoelectric ceramics. Furthermore, the crystals have been found to retain appreciable piezoactivity down to temperatures as low as 20K. These cryogenic actuators are very promising for shape control, precision positioning and force control in various NASA, military and civilian applications such as cryogenic adaptive optics for space telescopes, interferometers in terrestrial planet finder missions, interferometers and spectrometers for remote sensing applications.