Electrocaloric Effect in Emerging Fluorite-Structure Ferroelectrics

The electrocaloric effect can be observed in pyroelectric materials based on conversion between electrical and thermal energy, and can be utilized for the future environment-friendly refrigeration technology. Especially, a strong electrocaloric effect is expected in materials in which field-induced phase transition can be achieved. Emerging fluorite-structure ferroelectrics such as doped hafnia and zirconia, first discovered in 2011, are considered the most promising materials for next-generation semiconductor devices. Besides application of fluorite-structure ferroelectrics for semiconductor devices based on their scalability and CMOS-compatibility, field-induced phase transition has been suggested as another interesting phenomenon for various energy-related applications such as solid-state cooling with electrocaloric effect as well as energy conversion/storage and IR/piezoelectric sensors. Especially, their giant electrocaloric effect is considered promising for solid-state-cooling. However, the electrocaloric effect of fluorite-structure oxides based on field-induced phase transition has not been reviewed to date. In this review, therefore, the electrocaloric effect accompanied by field-induced phase transition in fluorite-structure ferroelectrics is comprehensively reviewed from fundamentals to potential applications.