Analytical calculations of the electrocaloric response of ferroelectric nanoparticles

This chapter contains details of analytical calculations of the electrocaloric response of ferroelectric nanoparticles. It summarizes the latest research and analyzes the authors’ recent results on analytical calculations of the electrocaloric response dependence on the external electric field, temperature, and size of single-domain noninteracting ferroelectric nanoparticles. The analysis is performed within the framework of the Landau-Ginzburg-Devonshire (LGD) approach and effective medium approximation, and applied to a nanocomposite with a small fraction of ferroelectric nanoparticles. The dependences of the ferroelectric polarization and electrocaloric temperature change on the external electric field are analyzed with special attention given to the parameters of the particle size distribution function. The size and size distribution effects predicted within the LGD approach and effective medium approximation open the possibility to control electrocaloric properties of ferroelectric nanocomposites, which are potentially important for their advanced applications in energy convertors and cooling systems.