Pyroelectric Li2Si2O5glass-ceramics

Abstract
Highly oriented surface layers of lithium disilicate crystals were grown by crystallizing glasses of the composition Li2O: SiO2. The thickness of the oriented layer was a function of the thermal treatment. The crystallites in these layers were oriented with their c-axes perpendicular to the sample surface. These layers were found to be pyroelectric as determined by the Chynoweth technique. The pyroelectric responses of the glass-ceramics crystallized in a thermal gradient were approximately four times larger than that of a tourmaline crystal of similar dimensions.