Ferroelectret-based flexible transducers: A strategy for acoustic levitation and manipulation of particles

Abstract

Advanced acoustic levitation devices featuring flexible, lightweight, wide bandwidth, and film-like transducers based on ferroelectrets are designed and fabricated for sophisticated manipulation of particles in a simple way. Owing to the unique properties of ferroelectret films, such as high piezoelectric activity, very small acoustic impedance, a relatively large damping ratio, flexibility, a large area, and small density, the levitator reported features a wider bandwidth compared to ceramic-based levitators. The transportation of levitated particles is achieved by deformation of the film transducer, which represents a different and promising concept for this task.