High pyroelectric performance and its dependence on the field‐induced orientation in antiferroelectric PLZST system

Abstract In antiferroelectrics (AFE), the recovery of AFE phase from field‐induced ferroelectric (FE IN ) phase occurs at the depolarization temperature, T d . In this study, we report an exceptionally high pyroelectric coefficient, p ≈ 16.00 × 10 −2 C/m 2 K at ∼70°C in the AFE composition Pb 0.982 La 0.012 (Zr 0.60 Sn 0.30 Ti 0.10 )O 3 which lies close to FE‐AFE phase boundary. We closely examine this FE IN ‐AFE transformation in virgin and poled samples, during heating, by temperature‐dependent X‐ray diffraction, polarization, strain–electric field hysteresis, dielectric and pyroelectric studies and report, for the first time, the mechanism responsible for this behavior.