TRANSDUCERS FROM 1-3 COMPOSITES, MADE WITH ORIENTED PSEUDO SINGLE-CRYSTAL RELAXOR FERROELECTRIC FIBERS, FOR NAVY SONOBUOY APPLICATIONS

"Advanced Cerametrics, Inc. (ACI) has developed a technology to produce functional quantities of lead magnesium niobate-lead titanate (PMN-PT) fibers with oriented pseudo single-crystal microstructures. These have been assembled into rudimentary compositetransducers. They have also been used as seeds for larger diameter fibers to help promote templated growth for active fiber composites. This work arose, in part, from a Phase II SBIR (N00014-00-C-0188) nearing completion. The aim of that effort has been todevelop a process to make the relaxor-based materials into fiber form and to assemble them into very basic functioning devices. The proposed work will build on the past work to provide devices specific to navy applications that utilize the highelectromechanical coupling, d33 coefficient and strain properties of these new materials to advantage. In the Phase I effort ACI plans to fabricate and test the feasibility of constructing 1-3 composites made with oriented pseudo single-crystal fibers foruse as transducers in sonobuoys. These novel transducers will have greater bandwidth, sensitivity and source levels versus current transducers while being low weight and since they are produced in an economically scalable process, cost effective. ACIintends to apply for the Phase II SBIR Fast Track. Commercial uses track Navy applications. Acoustic signal generation and reception with higher bandwidth and improved sensitivity has numerous appli