Experimental and theoretical investigation of the pyroelectric effect of the pn junction in a paraelectric non-polar semiconductor

摘要

We describe here the first comprehensive investigation of a pyroelectric response of a pn junction in a non-polar paraelectric semiconductor. The pyroelectric effect is generated by the, temperature dependent, built-in electrical dipole moment. High quality PbTe pn junctions have been prepared specifically for this experiment. The pyroelectric effect was excited by a continuous CO _2 laser beam, modulated by a mechanical chopper. The shape and amplitude of the periodic and single-pulse pyroelectric signals were studied as a function of temperature (10130 K), reverse bias voltage (up to -500 mV) and chopping frequency (42000 Hz). The pyroelectric coefficient is ≈10 ~(-3) μC/cm ~2K in the temperature region 4080 K. The developed theoretical model quantitatively describes all the experimental features of the observed pyroelectric effect. The time evolution of the temperature within the pn junction was reconstructed.