Compositionally tuned phase transformations enhance pyroelectric energy harvesting from low-grade heat

Abstract

Phase-transforming pyroelectric materials have emerged as promising candidates for low-grade thermal energy harvesting. However, whether first-order transformations with large pyroelectric coefficient or second-order transformations with better reversibility are preferable remains unclear. Here we report compositionally tunable phase transformations in Ba$_{1-x}$Sr$_x$TiO$_3$ ($x \in [0, 0.3]$), revealing evolution from first-order to second-order character. We identify a transitional regime between Sr$_{0.15}$ and Sr$_{0.22}$ where transformation mechanism fundamentally changes. Within this regime, Sr$_{0.19}$ achieves optimal lattice compatibility, exhibiting electrical leakage suppressed by over two orders of magnitude while retaining substantial polarization response. Energy conversion demonstrations show the multilayer Sr$_{0.19}$ device delivers pyroelectric current of $\sim$1.6 $\mu$A at 64$~^\circ$C with an energy density of 1.6 mJ/cm$^3$ per cycle and 5.5\% conversion efficiency. Remarkably, this composition operates stably over 10,000 full energy conversion cycles without external bias field or recharging, demonstrating that transitional regime compositions provide the optimal balance between energy density and operational durability for practical low-grade heat harvesting.