Piezoelectric switch with lateral moving beams

A system, comprising:

• a piezoelectric multiplexer, comprising:
• an actuator with an actuator conducting head and an actuator stem;
• and
• a plurality of piezoelectric-morphing beams having a plurality of electrical contacts, each piezoelectric-morphing beam comprising a beam contact head made of a conductive material and a beam stem made of a piezoelectric-morphing material;
• and
• a circuit configured to selectively apply a control voltage to one of the plurality of piezoelectric-morphing beams for causing the beam stem of the selected piezoelectric-morphing beam to move the beam contact head axially along a single axis of movement either horizontally or vertically toward the actuator and cause the beam contact head of the selected piezoelectric-morphing beam to create an electrical connection with the actuator conducting head.

A switching element, comprising:

• a first actuator with a first conducting head;
• a second actuator with a second conducting head;
• a piezoelectric-morphing beam positioned proximate to the actuator and comprising a beam contact head made of a conductive material and a beam stem made of a piezoelectric-morphing material, and
• a controller configured to:
• selectively apply a first voltage signal to the piezoelectric-morphing material to consequently cause the piezoelectric-morphing material to axially move the contact head along a single axis of movement either horizontally or vertically toward the first actuator and bring the beam contact head into physical contact with the first conducting head, and
• selectively apply a second voltage signal to the piezoelectric-morphing material to consequently cause the piezoelectric-morphing material to axially move the contact head along the single axis of movement either horizontally or vertically in an opposite direction into contact with the second conducting head.