3. Electrocaloric effect of materials

3.1 Solid materials

The properties presented below are only those determined by direct measurements of the electrocaloric effect, as indirect measurements are not considered reliable enough on the one hand, and numerous direct characterizations exist on the other.

Perovskite ceramics were historically the first to be characterized for their electrocaloric effect, and continue to be excellent cooling materials. They are relatively simple to manufacture and benefit from the extensive know-how acquired in piezoelectric ceramics.

Experimental results obtained on lead-based ferroelectric ceramics are given in Table 1 . The electrocaloric effect is not constant as a function of temperature,...