A new method for determining the pyroelectric coefficient of thin polymer films using dielectric heating

Using polarized poly(vinylidene fluoride) films we have demonstrated a new method for determining the pyroelectric coefficient of thin polymer films. In contrast to previous techniques, we utilize the dielectric absorption of the sample itself by applying a radio-frequency pulse to generate heat uniformly throughout the film. The pyroelectric coefficient is obtained without any further calibration by measuring simultaneously the generated charge. Since a spatially uniform temperature increase is achieved in the order of milliseconds, the values obtained represent a true average of the bulk polarization regardless of its spatial distribution.