Pyroelectric effect of a p-n junction in a nonpolar solid

Abstract

We discuss the possibility of a pyroelectric effect in a nonpolar solid. The built-in electrical field of a p-n junction barrier creates a polar axis in the solid. The electric dipole moment, due to the charge separation at the junction, depends on temperature mainly via the temperature dependence of the dielectric constant, giving rise to the pyroelectric effect. Illustrative estimates have been calculated for two quantum paraelectrics, PbTe and SrTi O3. © 2005 American Institute of Physics.