Pyroelectricity: Fundamentals and applications

Abstract

“Pyroelectricity” is defined as the manifestation of the temperature dependence of the spontaneous polarization of certain anisotropic solids. The chapter contains a brief presentation of the two-and-a-half-millennium history of pyroelectricity, a detailed discussion of the fundamentals of the phenomenon, and a description of many of its applications. The pyroelectric effect is closely related to piezoelectricity and is the basis for ferroelectricity. Despite many years of research, there are undoubtedly more pyroelectric phenomena and more pyroelectric materials to be discovered. Biological pyroelectricity may be a particularly fruitful area for future research. Up to the present time, the applications of pyroelectricity have been principally in the area of infrared detection with a strong emphasis on security uses. The current emphasis on infrared imaging is largely directed toward the consumer market, and this may have a very strong impact on the daily lives of people. It can be safely predicted that the future holds many exciting developments in the fundamentals and applications of pyroelectricity.