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A high performance piezoelectric actuator. The actuator includes a piezoelectric material exhibiting a selectively tapered width sufficient to enhance actuator fracture load capabilities. A passive material is disposed on or integrated with the piezoelectric material. A drive system is connected to

A high performance piezoelectric actuator. The actuator includes a piezoelectric material exhibiting a selectively tapered width sufficient to enhance actuator fracture load capabilities. A passive material is disposed on or integrated with the piezoelectric material. A drive system is connected to the piezoelectric material. The drive system is capable of selectively applying an electric field to the piezoelectric material. In specific embodiment, the piezoelectric material includes a curved piezoelectric layer exhibits a default state of compression along a surface of the piezoelectric layer.

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What is claimed is: 1. A piezoelectric actuator comprising: a piezoelectric material having a tapered width; a passive material coupled to the piezoelectric material; a drive system coupled to the piezoelectric material, wherein the drive system selectively applies an electric field to the piezoele

What is claimed is: 1. A piezoelectric actuator comprising: a piezoelectric material having a tapered width; a passive material coupled to the piezoelectric material; a drive system coupled to the piezoelectric material, wherein the drive system selectively applies an electric field to the piezoelectric material; and a rigid extension abutting one end of the piezoelectric material and being positioned in a substantially coplanar longitudinal direction with respect to the piezoelectric material. 2. The actuator of claim 1, wherein the piezoelectric material includes a piezoelectric layer that is curved to cause a state of compression along a surface of the piezoelectric layer when the electric field is not applied. 3. The actuator of claim 2, wherein the piezoelectric material includes amorphous ceramic or single-crystal piezoelectric material. 4. The actuator of claim 3, wherein the piezoelectric material includes PZT-5H or PZN-PT materials. 5. The actuator of claim 2 wherein the rigid extension is affixed to a narrow end of the piezoelectric layer. 6. The actuator of claim 5 wherein the rigid extension exhibits uniform width. 7. The actuator of claim 5 wherein the rigid extension is constructed from high modulus S2Glass. 8. The actuator of claim 2 wherein the passive material forms a passive layer backing the piezoelectric layer, the passive layer and the piezoelectric layer having selectively mismatched coefficients of thermal expansion sufficient to improve actuator fracture load capabilities. 9. The actuator of claim 8 wherein the passive layer includes ultra-high modulus materials. 10. The actuator of claim 9 wherein the passive layer is an elastic layer that includes ultra-high modulus carbon fiber materials. 11. The actuator of claim 10 wherein the passive layer acts as an electrode. 12. The actuator of claim 8 wherein the piezoelectric layer is a polished layer that is at least partially coated with a compressive polymer film. 13. The actuator of claim 12 wherein the compressive polymer film includes polyimide. 14. The actuator of claim 13 wherein the piezoelectric layer acts as an electrode. 15. The actuator of claim 8 wherein tip displacement δ of the actuator is approximately characterized by the following equation: where Gδ is a displacement geometry constant such that Gδ=(1+2lr), where lr is called an extension ratio associated with the rigid extension; l represents a length of the piezoelectric layer; and P is a function of piezoelectric stiffness constants, forces, and moments associated with the piezoelectric layer. 16. The actuator of claim 8 wherein blocked force (Fb) of the actuator is approximately characterized by the following equation: where l is a length of the piezoelectric layer; Wnom is a median or average width of the piezoelectric layer; and P is a function of piezoelectric stiffness constants, forces, and moments associated with the piezoelectric layer; C44 is a function of a strain-modified material constants of the piezoelectric layer; and GFb is a blocked-force geometry constant of the actuator that is a function of a width ratio of the piezoelectric layer and extension ratio between a length of the rigid extension and length l of the piezoelectric layer. 17. The actuator of claim 16 wherein energy density (Du) of the actuator is approximately characterized by the following equation: where Gu is the product (Gδ)��(GFb), where Gδ=(1 +2lr), where lr is called an extention ratio associated with the rigid extension; n is an integer index associated with an nth sublayer of the piezoelectric layer; ρn is a mass density of the nth sublayer of the piezoelectric layer; tn is a thickness of the nth sublayer. 18. The actuator of claim 1 wherein the drive system includes plural voltage sources connected to the actuator, the plural voltage sources simultaneously activated to drive the actuator. 19. The actuator of claim 1 wherein the drive system includes plural voltage sources connected to the actuator and configured to alternately drive the actuator. 20. The actuator of claim 1, wherein the passive material is disposed on the piezoelectric material. 21. The actuator of claim 1, wherein the passive material is integrated with the piezoelectric material. 22. The actuator of claim 1, wherein the piezoelectric material is sufficiently tapered to enhance actuator fracture load capability.