Pyroelectric glass-ceramics

Abstract
Highly oriented surface layers of lithium disilicate crystals were grown by crystallizing glasses of composition Li2Si2O5 in a temperature gradient. The polar c axes of the crystallites were oriented parallel to the temperature gradient and perpendicular to the sample surface. The pyroelectric response of the glass‐ceramic crystallized in a thermal gradient was approximately four times larger than that of a touramaline crystal of similar dimensions. The time dependence of the pyroelectric signal obeys the thin‐film equivalent circuit model developed by Chynoweth.