Multicaloric effects in PbZr_0.2Ti_0.8O₃ thin films with 90^° domain structure

¹ Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Health Maintenance for Mechanical Equipment, Hunan University of Science and Technology - Hunan Xiangtan 411201, China
² School of Materials Science and Engineering, Xiangtan University - Hunan Xiangtan 411105, China
³ School of Materials and Engineering, Hunan University of Science and Technology Hunan Xiangtan 411201, China
⁴ China Three Gorges Corporation - Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China

^(a) bli@xtu.edu.cn
^(b) lfliu1@hnust.cn

Received: 3 May 2017
Accepted: 30 May 2017

Abstract

The multicaloric effects of a PbZr_0.2Ti_0.8O₃ thin film with 90° domain structure at room temperature are predicted using a phase-field simulation. The calculation results indicate that the giant negative multicaloric ΔT_E,σ can reach −11 K which far exceeds the values associated with either elastocaloric or electrocaloric effects. In addition, the multicaloric effect is larger than the stress-mediated electrocaloric effect or electrically mediated elastocaloric effect, and the transition of the 90° domain structure to a monodomain greatly affects the caloric effects of PbZr_0.2Ti_0.8O₃ thin films.