Pyroelectricity of water ice
Hanfu Wang1, Richard C Bell, Martin J Iedema
1Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Box 999, M/S K8-88, Richland, Washington 99352, USA.
The Journal of Physical Chemistry. B
|April 23, 2008
Summary
Water ice exhibits significant pyroelectricity when biased with ions, challenging previous assumptions. This discovery reveals potential applications in astrophysical and material science contexts.
Area of Science:
- Solid-state physics
- Materials science
- Astrophysics
Background:
- Water ice is typically considered non-pyroelectric due to its symmetrical structure.
- Symmetry breaking is crucial for observing pyroelectric effects in materials.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the pyroelectric properties of water ice.
- To determine if biasing water ice with ions can induce pyroelectricity.
Main Methods:
- Soft-landing ions onto 1 micrometer water ice films at temperatures above 160 K.
- Measuring work function changes as films were cooled below 140-150 K.
- Analyzing the temperature dependence of the induced bias.
Main Results:
- Biasing water ice with ions induced significant and reversible pyroelectric activity between 30 and 150 K.
- The observed pyroelectric coefficients are comparable to those of commercial materials like lead zirconate titanate (PZT).
- Pyroelectricity was detected in both crystalline and amorphous forms of water ice.
Conclusions:
- Water ice possesses substantial pyroelectric properties when ion-biased, contrary to prior symmetry-based expectations.
- The induced electric fields in astrophysical ices could influence chemical reactions and particle trajectories.
- This finding opens new avenues for understanding phenomena in cryogenic environments and developing novel pyroelectric materials.
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