Effect of domain walls on the electrocaloric properties of Pb(Zr1−x,Tix)O3 thin films

Abstract

The electrocaloric properties of polydomain epitaxial Pb(Zr1-x,Tix)O3 thin films are investigated using a Ginzburg-Landau-Devonshire thermodynamic model as a function of strain, temperature, and composition for 0.65 ≤ x ≤ 1. Polarization transitions driven by epitaxial strain and extrinsic contributions from domain wall displacements are found to dramatically impact the electrocaloric response. Careful choice of epitaxial misfit strain and composition allows one to harness the intrinsic and extrinsic contributions to obtain large adiabatic temperature changes much below the Curie temperature of the material.

Document Details

Document Type
Pub Defense Publication
Publication Date
Jul 18, 2011
Source ID
10.1063/1.3614453

Entities

People

  • J. Karthik
  • L. W. Martin

Organizations

  • Office of Naval Research
  • University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign

Tags

Fields of Study

  • Materials science

Readers

  • Materials Science and Engineering.