Electroelastic stress in an electrostrictive material with charged surface electrodes

Field singularities of collinear electrodes on the surface of a half-infinite electrostrictive solid are studied in terms of the complex variable method. Firstly, the general solutions for the potential functions of electric fields and stresses are derived for the case of collinear electrodes based on analytical continuation method. Then, explicit results are given for the cases of one and two electrodes, respectively. Finally, numerical calculations are made to discuss the effects of applied electric loading on the field singularities near the electrodes. It is found that even at the low level of applied electric loading, considerable high stresses will be induced around the tip of electrodes. Moreover, for the cases of multiple electrodes, the distribution of electric fields and stresses is more complicated than the case of a single electrode.