The edge electric field of a pyroelectric and its applications

Following a change of temperature of a pyroelectric (PE), a depolarizing electric field appears both inside the PE as well as outside its edges, the edge depolarizing electric field (EDEF). The EDEF extends outwards up to a distance of the order of magnitude of the PE width. The mapping and the strength of the EDEF have been here calculated and analyzed for the case of a semi-infinite pyroelectric plate. We propose here the idea of utilizing the EDEF of the pyroelectric solely as the source of an electrical field. This strong EDEF (104–105V∕cm), when penetrating into the surrounding medium, creates a variety of physical effects: inducing electrical current in a semiconductor and affecting its resistance, accelerating charged and neutral particles in vacuum or in a gas, generating electromagnetic waves, modifying optical characteristics by electro-optical and photoelasic effects, generating piezoelectric deformation, and more. We discuss a number of possible applications and devices based on these EDEF ind...