Associate Professor Shinobu Aoyagi of Nagoya City University, in collaboration with the High Brightness Photon Science Research Center (JASRI) and Hiroshima University, elucidated the vibration mechanism of the crystal oscillator for the first time in the world.Although crystal oscillators are used in various devices around us such as watches, the principle of their operation was not well understood.
Silicon and oxygen atoms in quartz are positively and negatively charged, respectively.It has been thought that when a voltage is applied to this crystal, silicon ions and oxygen ions vibrate alternately in opposite directions to generate an electrical signal.However, the chemical bond between silicon and oxygen is strong, and it remains a question whether such vibration is possible.In order to solve this mystery, it is necessary to directly observe the movement of atoms, but the movement of the crystal is so small that it was difficult with conventional measurement methods.The group succeeded in amplifying this movement by aligning the period of vibration of the crystal and the period of applying voltage.It is the same principle that if you press the bell of the temple regularly, you can make a big shake with just one finger.This made it possible to directly measure the movement of the atoms inside.As a result, it became clear that the atoms do not oscillate alternately, but oscillate so that the direction of the chemical bond changes.
The mechanism by which a crystal emits an electrical signal has been clarified, but according to the group, there is a possibility that this principle can be applied to a technology that efficiently converts the kinetic energy of an atom into electrical energy.In the future, we will explore whether it can lead to innovative power generation methods.