Measurement Nuances in Ferroelectric, Piezoelectric, and Pyroelectric Crystals

Ferroelectric materials, due to the presence of domains will exhibit a hysteresis nature for the applied
electric field. The ferroelectric hysteresis loop contains information about many parameters like remnant
polarization, saturated polarization, coercive field etc. This chapter introduces ferroelectric materials and their importance in memory, energy and sensor applications. We provide a brief history of the ferroelectric, piezo-electric and pyroelectric materials and expand our understanding of the fundamental effects that play a major role in determining the hysteresis properties. Further, we discuss the misconceptions during and after the measurement and how to overcome those. We conclude with a brief list of different materials and their characteristic properties, enabling readers to choose particular materials for tailored applications.