Pyroelectric Materials An authoritative and practical discussion of pyroelectric materials and their applications In Pyroelectric Materials: Physics and Applications, the authors deliver a comprehensive exploration of the physics of pyroelectric materials and their applications. With authoritative coverage of a wide variety of critical topics in the field, the authors provide the readers with chapters on dielectric fundamentals, pyroelectricity, pyroelectric materials and their applications such as pyroelectric infrared detectors, pyroelectric energy harvesting, and pyroelectric fusion. Readers will also find: A thorough introduction to the fundamentals of dielectrics, including discussions of polarization, dispersion, relaxation, and the molecular theory of induced charges in a dielectric Comprehensive explorations of pyroelectricity, including its history, theory, and a simple model of pyroelectric effect Perfect for researchers and professionals with an interest in pyroelectric materials, the book is also useful for graduate students taking courses involving pyroelectric materials and their applications.

The Beginnings of Piezoelectricity, the first history of the subject, exhaustively examines how diverse influences led to the discovery of the phenomenon in 1880, and how they shaped subsequent research until the consolidation of an empirical and theoretical knowledge of the field circa 1895. Shaul Katzir’s historical account shows that this ‘mundane’ science was an intriguing intellectual and practical enterprise, which involved originality, surprises and controversies.

Contains comprehensive cutting-edge information on pyroelectric materials and their preparation, properties and applications, such as uncooled wideband infrared detectors, particle generators and ambient energy harvesters. The complete lifecycle of a pyroelectric material is presented - from the theory of operation, to structure and processing and applications - providing a cohesive overview of all of the necessary concepts, including theoretical background and current developments.

This work covers the chemistry and physics of polymeric materials and their uses in the fields of electronics, photonics, and biomedical engineering. It discusses the relationship between polymeric supermolecular structures and ferroelectric, piezoelectric and pyroelectric properties.