Jacques Curie's mineralogy between Paris and Montpellier; experimental sciences under the Third Republic

Jacques Curie is a forgotten physicist/mineralogist who, together with his younger brother Pierre, was responsible for the discovery and first description of the piezoelectric effect, the effect that enables - in certain types of crystal - the conversion of mechanical stress such as compression into an electric current. The piezoelectric effect is used in many areas of everyday life: gas lighters, sensors, microphones, quartz watches... Most cell phones contain piezoelectric elements.

Jacques Curie (1855, Paris - 1941, Montpellier) was Professor of Mineralogy at the University of Montpellier between 1883 and 1925, with the exception of the years 1887-1889 when he taught at the École des Sciences in Algiers. He made the discovery of the piezoelectric effect in 1880 at the age of 25 as a preparator at the Faculté des Sciences de Paris with his 21-year-old brother Pierre. Jacques continued to perfect the determination of the piezoelectric constant until 1910, using an instrument originally designed by the two brothers in Paris. This instrument, the piezoelectric quartzwas also used by Pierre and Marie Curie to measure the natural radioactivity of a substance placed in an ionization chamber. In particular, it could be used to measure extremely weak electrical currents.

Jacques Curie will be the guest of honor at the Association Française de Cristallographie conference in Montpellier on Wednesday, July 3, 2024 at 8pm at the Centre Rabelais (27 Boulevard Sarrail, Montpellier). The lecture is given by Pierre Teissier, Senior Lecturer in the History of Science and Technology at the University of Nantes: La minéralogie de Jacques Curie entre Paris et Montpellier ; les sciences expérimentales sous la Troisième République (1870-1940). The lecture will be followed by a round-table discussion on current research in the field of piezoelectricity. The round table will be moderated by Michel Robert, former President of the University of Montpellier 2, and will be attended by Emmanuel le Clézio (Institut Électronique du Sud, Montpellier), Lionel Torres (Laboratoire d'informatique, de robotique et de microélectronique de Montpellier, Polytech Montpellier) and Jean-Michel Marin (Dean of the Montpellier Faculty of Science, Institut Alexander Grothendieck).

The event is sponsored by NUMEV, the University of Montpellier's Laboratory of Excellence (LabEx) focusing on the interaction between computer and engineering sciences, and life and environmental sciences.