Characterization of the electrocaloric effect and hysteresis loss in relaxor ferroelectric thin films under alternating current bias fields

Abstract

We report characterization and analysis of the frequency-dependent temperature responses in thin films exhibiting the electrocaloric (EC) effect under AC bias fields using a high-precision lock-in technique. The temperature response detected by an embedded thin-film resistance thermometer is analyzed using the steady-periodic solutions of a 3D heat conduction model to extract the equivalent volumetric heat sources/sinks, which represent the combined effects of electrocaloric cooling/heating and hysteresis loss. The dependence of the measured heat source strengths on the bias field frequency and amplitude is consistent with our model prediction and independently measured dielectric properties. The volumetric heating rate due to hysteresis loss is estimated to be as much as 15% of the EC heating/cooling rates for solution-cast relaxor ferroelectric polymer films studied here. Our experimental approach enables a systematic study of the electrocaloric performance of thin films and deleterious impact of hysteresis loss.