Electrically induced mechanical strain in insulating dielectrics

摘要

We review the theory of electrically-induced mechanical forces in a dielectric and deduce that an important mechanical stress can be expected which acts in planes normal to the electrical field lines. This stress could be particularly large at interfaces and give rise to electrocapillarity. It is shown that it can also exist in the bulk of a dielectric, giving rise to a generalised piezoelectricity.