Since the 1997 Kyoto protocol of reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, the development of novel refrigerators has been a priority within the scientific community. Although magnetocaloric materials are promising candidates, they still need a large magnetic field to induce a giant ΔT as well as powerful and costly magnets. However, in electrocaloric materials (ECMs) a temperature change may be achieved by applying or removing an electric field. Since a giant electrocaloric effect on ferroelectric thin films was reported in Science in 2006, researchers have been inspired to explore such effect in different ferroelectric thin films. This book reviews electrocaloric effects observed in bulk materials as well as recent promising advances in thin films, with special emphasis on the ferroelectric, antiferroelectric and relaxor nature of ECMs. It reports a number of considerations about the future of ECMs as a means of achieving an efficient, ecologically sustainable and low cost refrigerator.

The Electrocaloric Effect: Materials and Applications reviews the fundamentals of the electrocaloric effect, the most relevant electrocaloric materials, and electrocaloric measurements and device applications. The book introduces the electrocaloric effect, along with modeling and simulations of this effect. Then, it addresses the latest advances in synthesis, characterization and optimization of the most relevant electrocaloric materials, including ferroelectric materials, liquid materials, lead-free materials, polymers and composites. Finally, there is a review of the latest techniques in measurement and applications in refrigeration and cooling and a discussion of the advantages, challenges and perspectives of the future of electrocaloric refrigeration. - Provides a comprehensive introduction to the electrocaloric effect including experimental techniques to measure, model, and simulate the effect - Reviews the most relevant electrocaloric materials such as composites, polymers, metal oxides, ferroelectric materials, and more - Touches on the design and application of electrocaloric materials for devices with potential cooling and refrigeration applications

Provides a comprehensive overview of the emerging applications of ferroelectric materials in energy harvesting and storage Conventional ferroelectric materials are normally used in sensors and actuators, memory devices, and field effect transistors, etc. Recent progress in this area showed that ferroelectric materials can harvest energy from multiple sources including mechanical energy, thermal fluctuations, and light. This book gives a complete summary of the novel energy-related applications of ferroelectric materials?and reviews both the recent advances as well as the future perspectives in this field. Beginning with the fundamentals of ferroelectric materials, Ferroelectric Materials for Energy Applications offers in-depth chapter coverage of: piezoelectric energy generation; ferroelectric photovoltaics; organic-inorganic hybrid perovskites for solar energy conversion; ferroelectric ceramics and thin films in electric energy storage; ferroelectric polymer composites in electric energy storage; pyroelectric energy harvesting; ferroelectrics in electrocaloric cooling; ferroelectric in photocatalysis; and first-principles calculations on ferroelectrics for energy applications. -Covers a highly application-oriented subject with great potential for energy conversion and storage applications. -Focused toward a large, interdisciplinary group consisting of material scientists, solid state physicists, engineering scientists, and industrial researchers -Edited by the "father of integrated ferroelectrics" Ferroelectric Materials for Energy Applications is an excellent book for researchers working on ferroelectric materials and energy materials, as well as engineers looking to broaden their view of the field.

Piezoelectric Materials Analyze the foundational materials of the electronics industry In recent years piezoelectric materials have become one of the world’s most important classes of functional materials. Their ability to convert between mechanical and electrical energy makes them indispensable for sensors, transducers, actuators, catalysts, and many other foundational electronic devices. As electronics industries expand at unprecedented rates, the range of applications for piezoelectric materials continues to grow. Piezoelectric Materials offers a comprehensive overview of this group of materials, its key properties, and its applications. Beginning with the fundamental science of piezoelectric phenomena, it then analyzes different the numerous different classes of piezoelectric materials and their current and future industrial functions. The result is essential for engineers and materials scientists working in any number of areas. Piezoelectric Materials readers will also find: Analysis of materials types include lead-based and lead-free piezoelectric materials, textured piezoceramics, piezoelectric thin films, and many more Detailed discussion of applications including dielectric energy storage and biomedical technology Authorship by a leading researcher of piezoelectric materials Piezoelectric Materials is ideal for materials scientists, electronic engineers, polymer chemists, solid state chemists, and any other researchers or professionals working with these key materials.

FERROIC MATERIALS-BASED TECHNOLOGIES The book addresses the prospective, relevant, and original research developments in the ferroelectric, magnetic, and multiferroic fields. Ferroic materials have sparked widespread attention because they represent a broad spectrum of elementary physics and are employed in a plethora of fields, including flexible memory, enormous energy harvesting/storage, spintronic functionalities, spin caloritronics, and a large range of other multi-functional devices. With the application of new ferroic materials, strong room-temperature ferroelectricity with high saturation polarization may be established in ferroelectric materials, and magnetism with significant magnetization can be accomplished in magnetic materials. Furthermore, magnetoelectric interaction between ferroelectric and magnetic orderings is high in multiferroic materials, which could enable a wide range of innovative devices. Magnetic, ferroelectric, and multiferroic 2D materials with ultrathin characteristics above ambient temperature are often expected to enable future miniaturization of electronics beyond Moore’s law for energy-efficient nanodevices. This book addresses the prospective, relevant, and original research developments in the ferroelectric, magnetic, and multiferroic fields. Audience The book will interest materials scientists, physicists, and engineers working in ferroic and multiferroic materials.

This book systematically reviews the history of lead-free piezoelectric materials, including the latest research. It also addresses a number of important issues, such as new types of materials prepared in a multitude of sizes, structural and physical properties, and potential applications for high-performance devices. Further, it examines in detail the state of the art in lead-free piezoelectric materials, focusing on the pathways to modify different structures and achieve enhanced physical properties and new functional behavior. Lastly, it discusses the prospects for potential future developments in lead-free piezoelectric materials across disciplines and for multifunctional applications. Given its breadth of coverage, the book offers a comprehensive resource for graduate students, academic researchers, development scientists, materials producers, device designers and applications engineers who are working on or are interested in advanced lead-free piezoelectric materials.

The need to more efficiently harvest energy for electronics has spurred investigation into materials that can harvest energy from locally abundant sources. Ferroelectric Materials for Energy Harvesting and Storage is the first book to bring together fundamental mechanisms for harvesting various abundant energy sources using ferroelectric and piezoelectric materials. The authors discuss strategies of designing materials for efficiently harvesting energy sources like solar, wind, wave, temperature fluctuations, mechanical vibrations, biomechanical motion, and stray magnetic fields. In addition, concepts of the high density energy storage using ferroelectric materials is explored. Ferroelectric Materials for Energy Harvesting and Storage is appropriate for those working in materials science and engineering, physics, chemistry and electrical engineering disciplines. - Reviews wide range of energy harvesting including solar, wind, biomechanical and more - Discusses ferroelectric materials and their application to high energy density capacitors - Includes review of fundamental mechanisms of energy harvesting and energy solutions, their design and current applications, and future trends and challenges

Dielectric Spectroscopy of Electronic Materials: Applied Physics of Dielectrics incorporates the results of four decades of research and applications of dielectric spectroscopy for solids, mostly for the investigation of materials used in electronics. The book differs from others by more detailed analysis of the features of dielectric spectra conditioned by specific mechanisms of electrical polarization and conductivity. Some original methods are presented in the simulation of frequency distributions (relaxers and oscillators), with methods proposed for various ferroelectrics frequency-temperature dielectric spectra. Also described are original methods for ferroelectrics on microwaves investigation, including the features of thin films study. The book is not burdened by complex mathematical proofs and should help readers quickly understand how to apply dielectric spectroscopy methods to their own research problems. More advanced readers may also find this book valuable as a review of the key concepts and latest advances on the topics presented. - Introduces critical material characterization techniques by an expert with more than 40 years of experience in dielectric spectroscopy - Reviews advances in dielectric spectroscopy methods to enable advances such as the miniaturization of electronics at the nanoscale - Provides an overview of polarization mechanisms utilizing different models (i.e., oscillator and relaxation)

Elastocaloric cooling is an emerging solid-state cooling technology with the potential to provide environmentally friendly, efficient cooling. The elastocaloric effect in superelastic shape memory alloy films is used to develop advanced cooling devices for small-scale applications. Cascaded and parallelized devices are developed to increase device temperature span and cooling capacity. The concepts are proven experimentally, a maximum temperature span of 27° C is achieved in a cascaded device.

The impending energy crisis brought on by the running out of finite and non-homogenously distributed fossil fuel reserves and the worldwide increase in energy demand has prompted vast research in the development of sustainable energy technologies in the last few decades. However, the efficiency of most of these new technologies is relatively small and therefore it needs to be increased to eventually replace conventional technologies based on fossil fuels. The required efficiency increase primarily relies on the ability to improve the performance of the functional materials which are at the heart of these technologies. The purpose of this book is to give a unified and comprehensive presentation of the fundamentals and the use and design of novel materials for efficient sustainable energy applications, such as conversion, storage, transmission, and consumption. The book presents general coverage of the use and design of advanced materials for sustainable energy applications. Thus, the book addresses all the relevant aspects, such as materials for energy conversion, storage, transmission, and consumption.