Extreme waves in a optics Lab

• Ludovica Dieli

Extreme waves are suddenly appearing waves with an amplitude at least twice the mean amplitude of the surrounding fluid. From the mathematical point of view the same model describes phenomena occurring in very different physical systems, such as water waves, condensates and light. However maths cannot give us all the answers we wished, and this makes the topic extremely interesting!

Dicussion

Controlling piezoelectricity in organic polymers

• Stefano Paolo Villani

Piezoelectric materials generate an electric tension when mechanical stress is applied. This property enables the conversion of mechanical energy into electrical energy and vice-versa, making them of great interest for various applications. The most commonly used piezoelectric materials are inorganic crystals; however, they often have low mechanical flexibility, high production costs, and can be toxic due to the lead they may contain. A promising alternative is to exploit the piezoelectric properties of organic materials. In this talk, we will see how to induce and control a piezoelectric response in organic polymers.

Discussion