Direct Measurements of the Electrocaloric Effect In Substrate-Free PMN-0.35pt Thick Films on a Platinum Layer

The electrocaloric (EC) effect attracted very recently considerable attention due to recent findings of the existence of a giant EC in polymeric and inorganic ferroelectric materials and because of its great potential in development of cooling or heating devices of new generation, which would be more environmentally friendly. A method and analysis of direct measurements of the large EC effect in self-standing [Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3]1-x[PbTiO3]x (PMN-xPT) with x = 0.35 thick ceramic films on a platinum layer are presented. Besides very large electrostrictive response already reported in these self-standing films, the experimental results confirm the existence of the large EC effect of similar magnitude as found in bulk PMN-0.35PT ceramics.