Uncooled tunable pyroelectric response of antiferroelectric Pb0.97La0.02(Zr0.65Sn0.22Ti0.13)O3 perovskite -: art. no. 192904

Pb0.97La0.02(Zr0.65Sn0.22Ti0.13)O-3 ceramic was confirmed to be in an antiferroelectric (AFE) phase at T < 170 degrees C by macroscopic and microscopic studies. The electric-field-induced ferroelectric (FE) state was found to exhibit a much longer lifetime than the reasonable laboratory measuring time scale at T < 60 degrees C, which has led to the frequent misinterpretation of this material system as FE. The dc bias dependence of the dielectric and pyroelectric properties was studied as a function of temperature. The poled sample exhibited a low dissipation factor (tan delta similar to 0.03), a large transient pyroelectric coefficient of the order of 10(-3)-10(-2) Cm-2 K-1, and excellent dc tunability at the FE-to-AFE transition temperature (39 degrees C/kV/mm). The possible application of this material to uncooled tunable pyroelectric thermal sensing is also discussed. (C) 2005 American Institute of Physics.