Pyroelectricity in lead-based ceramics

Abstract

Lead-based compounds are the most commonly used among the various categories of pyroelectric materials. As a result, extensive research has focused on developing high-performance lead-based pyroelectric materials over the past few decades. Recent experiments have driven significant progress in pyroelectric ceramics. Many of them were first discovered during the 1950s and 1960s, with their properties and applications well-documented in standard textbooks. This chapter examines lead-based pyroelectric materials, recognized as the most versatile and extensively utilized pyroelectrics. The chapter begins with a focus on lead titanate (PbTiO3: PT), which is then followed by a discussion of modified lead titanate compositions. It provides an in-depth examination of lead zirconate (PbZrO3: PZ), highlighting the mechanisms of hardening and softening, along with their properties at the morphotropic phase boundary. The Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3–PbTiO3 (PMN-PT) and (Pb1-x Lax) (Zr1-y Tiy)O3 (PLZT) compositions pyroelectric properties are also analyzed. The subsequent sections cover other lead-based compositions, concluding with a discussion on field-induced pyroelectricity. © 2026 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.