Infrared absorbing oxide electrodes in epitaxial pyroelectric Pb-La-Ti-O heterostructures with controlled domain orientation

Oxide-based pyroelectric heterostructures of La-Sr-Co-O/Pb0.9La0.1Ti0.975O3 /La-Sr-Co-O have been grown. Single-crystal LaAlO3 substrates were chosen t o obtain high quality epitaxial thin films in order to address basic pyroel ectric properties. The use of perovskite conducting oxide electrodes promot es the formation of phase pure pervoskite pyroelectric material. Additional ly, these oxides exhibit strong infrared absorption, alpha = 10(5)/cm. An i nfrared absorbing electrode is beneficial for producing a simplified detect or design-with enhanced detectivity. Variation of the deposition temperatur e produced control of the domain orientation. Pyroelectric measurements usi ng the Byer-Roundy method have yielded pyroelectric: coefficients of 50 nC/ cm(2)K. Both pyroelectric coefficients and pulsed polarization values show a clear dependence on the c-axis volume fraction.