Temperature dependence of the pyroelectric voltage in a 2–2 connectivity pyroelectric bimorph

Abstract: Parallel and series pyroelectric bimorph structures, with 2–2 connectivity, are theoretically analysed to obtain the electric fields inside the two component phases. The proposed model takes into consideration the possibility of an electrical interaction between the two phases. It is demonstrated that the value of the internal electric field, due to the pyroelectric charge generated during heating of the bimorph structure, is considerably different than the case where each of the two phases is heated separately. It is shown that the value and the orientation of the electric fields inside the two phases of the bimorph depend on the value of the pyroelectric coefficients and dielectric constants of the two phases. The most interesting result is obtained in the case of the series bimorph, where the orientation of the electric field inside the phase with a lower pyroelectric coefficent is opposite to the orientation of spontaneous polarisation of this phase.