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Characterisation of Ferroelectric Bulk Materials and Thin Films pp 65–86Cite as

Characterisation of Pyroelectric Materials

Part of the Springer Series in Measurement Science and Technology book series (SSMST,volume 2)

Abstract

Pyroelectrics form a very broad class of materials. Any material which has a crystal structure possessing a polar point symmetry—i.e. one which both lacks a centre of symmetry and has a unique axis of symmetry—will possess an intrinsic, or spontaneous, polarisation and show the pyroelectric effect. The pyroelectric effect is a change in that spontaneous polarisation caused by a change in temperature. It is manifested as the appearance of free charge at the surfaces of the material, or a flow of current in an external circuit connected to it. The effect is a simple one, but it has been used in a range of sensing devices, most notably uncooled pyroelectric infra-red (PIR) sensors, and has thus come to be of some engineering and economic significance, enabling a wide range of sensing systems, ranging from burglar alarms through FTIR spectroscopic instruments to thermal imagers.

Keywords

  • Piezoelectric Coefficient
  • Pyroelectric Coefficient
  • Pyroelectric Detector
  • Pyroelectric Effect
  • Pyroelectric Current

These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Materials, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, Exhibition Rd, London, SW7 2AZ, UK

    Roger Whatmore

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  1. Roger Whatmore
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Correspondence to Roger Whatmore .

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  1. National Physical Laboratory, Teddington, Middlesex, United Kingdom

    Markys G. Cain

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Whatmore, R. (2014). Characterisation of Pyroelectric Materials. In: Cain, M. (eds) Characterisation of Ferroelectric Bulk Materials and Thin Films. Springer Series in Measurement Science and Technology, vol 2. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-9311-1_4

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