Detecting Pyroelectric Response upon Modulated Infrared Radiation

Elric Von Eden

Mentor: Professor Ruyan Guo

 

            I will be working on a project dealing with the pyroelectric effect.  The pyroelectric effect is a phenomenon that is attributed to certain materials that are able to develop a charge as a result of a change in temperature.  This effect can be useful in many applications, primarily the design of a thermal bolometer or thermal detector.  Scientists and engineers researching pyroelectric materials are currently studying carefully the response of those materials under various conditions.

            Part of fully understanding a pyroelectric substance involves knowing the substance’s pyroelectric coefficient.  A substance’s pyroelectric coefficient is defined as the substance’s change in polarization with respect to temperature.  Different methods have been developed to determine a substance’s pyroelectric coefficient.  One of the best methods is the dynamic pyro-optic technique or Chynoweth method that involves heating a substance or sample of a substance with radiation, e.g. an infrared laser with optical fiber output.  By measuring the change in temperature as well as the current response of the pyroelectric material, the pyroelectric coefficient can be determined and used to help predict the behavior of the material for various applications.  My work would entail determining pyroelectric coefficients by the pyro-optic Chynoweth method.