Tunable Bleustein-Gulyaev Permittivity Sensors

We present a novel electric permittivity sensor based on Bleustein-Gulyaev (BG) waves. We also demonstrate a mechanism by which biasing can be used to modulate the sensitivity of permittivity sensors to match different electric permittivity ranges. We formulate the nonlinear electromechanical differential equations governing the dynamics of BG waves. Model results suggest that under a bias of only a few volts, the sensor can be driven into a nonlinear regime where its sensitivity can be tuned to match that of aqueous solutions, thereby allowing for biomedical applications.