pyroelectricity

[pahy-roh-i-lek-tris-i-tee, -ee-lek-]

noun

1. electrification or electrical polarity produced in certain crystals by temperature changes.

pyroelectricity

/ -ˌiːlɛk-, ˌpaɪrəʊɪlɛkˈtrɪsɪtɪ /

noun

1. the development of opposite charges at the ends of the axis of certain hemihedral crystals, such as tourmaline, as a result of a change in temperature

Word History and Origins

Origin of pyroelectricity¹

First recorded in 1825–35; pyro- + electricity

Example Sentences

Determining whether pyroelectricity comes from the surface, rather than from inside a crystal, is not trivial.

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This is interesting, because it implies that the pyroelectricity does not simply arise from thermal expansion of the piezoelectric surface5, but from a true phase transition confined to the surface.

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Therefore, the pyroelectricity seems to arise from an inherent surface distortion.

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