Efficient Pyroelectric Poling of Electrooptic Polymers Using Commercial PZT Discs

Pyroelectric poling uses the high electrostatic field generated by thermally initiated surface charges from pyroelectric materials to pole the thin films of electro-optical (EO) polymers. However, a few early experimental demonstrations leave circuit model analysis largely unexplored. To overcome the limitations of previous research, this study focuses on improving the pyroelectric poling of EO polymers by establishing a correlation between the experimental results and electrical circuit simulations. The study utilizes commercially available lead zirconate titanate (PZT), known for its high pyroelectric coefficients and low cost, to pole newly developed guest-host polymers with large EO coefficients. A configuration using two hot plates is introduced to simplify the optimization of pyroelectric poling parameters and enhance the poling efficiency. The study further conducts a quantitative analysis by comparing ideal capacitor-only and practical capacitor-resistor electrical circuit simulations. The results showcase the effectiveness of the pyroelectric poling configuration with PZT and its impact on process efficiency and dynamics. The good correlation between experimental observations and electrical circuit simulations enhances our understanding and refinement of pyroelectric poling techniques for thin film dielectric materials. © 2024 American Chemical Society.