Giant electrocaloric effect in thin film Pb Zr_0.95 Ti_0.05 O_3

An applied electric field can reversibly change the temperature of an electrocaloric material under adiabatic conditions, and the effect is strongest near phase transitions. This phenomenon has been largely ignored because only small effects (0.003 K V^-1) have been seen in bulk samples such as Pb0.99Nb0.02(Zr0.75Sn0.20Ti0.05)0.98O3 and there is no consensus on macroscopic models. Here we demonstrate a giant electrocaloric effect (0.48 K V^-1) in 300 nm sol-gel PbZr0.95Ti0.05O3 films near the ferroelectric Curie temperature of 222oC. We also discuss a solid state device concept for electrical refrigeration that has the capacity to outperform Peltier or magnetocaloric coolers. Our results resolve the controversy surrounding macroscopic models of the electrocaloric effect and may inspire ab initio calculations of electrocaloric parameters and thus a targeted search for new materials.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Tuning the electrocaloric enhancement near the morphotropic phase boundary in lead-free ceramics

This project was funded by EPSRC (EP/G060940/1 and EP/P505674/1) and the Grant Agency of the Slovak Academy of Sciences (2/0057/14)

The sensorium at work: the sensory phenomenology of the working body

The sociology of the body and the sociology of work and occupations have both neglected to some extent the study of the ‘working body’ in paid employment, particularly with regard to empirical research into the sensory aspects of working practices. This gap is perhaps surprising given how strongly the sensory dimension features in much of working life. This article is very much a first step in calling for a more phenomenological, embodied and ‘fleshy’ perspective on the body in employment, and examines some of the theoretical and conceptual resources available to researchers wishing to focus on the lived working-body experiences of the sensorium. We also consider some possible representational forms for a more evocative, phenomenologically-inspired portrayal of sensory, lived-working-body experiences, and offer suggestions for future avenues of research

Giant electrocaloric effect in the thin film relaxor ferroelectric 0.9 PbMg1/3Nb2/3O3–0.1 PbTiO3 near room temperature.

We have recently observed a giant electrocaloric effect (12 K in 25 V) in 350 nm sol-gel PbZr0.95Ti0.05O3 films near the ferroelectric Curie temperature of 242oC. Here we demonstrate a giant electrocaloric effect (5 K in 25 V) in 260 nm sol-gel films of the relaxor ferroelectric 0.9 PbMg1/3Nb2/3O3 – 0.1 PbTiO3 near the Curie temperature of 60oC. This reduction in operating temperature widens the potential for applications in novel cooling systems

Mercury in Temperate Forest Soils and Suspended Sediments in the Connecticut River, Merrimack River, and Thames River Watersheds, USA

Quantifying the sequestration in forest soils and watershed transport of Hg is key to reducing exposure of aquatic food chains to the toxic pollutant. We explored if forest soils, proximity in human developments, or watershed characteristics could shed light on sediment driven Hg transport in the Connecticut River, Merrimack River, and Thames River watersheds, in the northeastern USA. We sampled 48 upland forest soils and 32 riparian forest soils and collected bottled and trapped suspended sediments from April 2020 to November 2020 across the three watersheds. Forest soil Hg concentrations were greater in riparian forest soils (median = 153 ng g−1) than in upland forest soils (median = 71 ng g−1) across all three watersheds and developed sites near urbanization had higher Hg concentrations in the Merrimack River watershed (median = 407 ± 119 ng g−1). The Connecticut River had the highest suspended sediment Hg export rate but when normalized by total area of the watershed, the Merrimack River had 0.19 kg km−2 month−1 while the Connecticut River had 0.13 kg km−2 month−1 and 0.04 km−2 for the Thames River. Our findings suggest that riparian forest soils sequester while suspended sediments transport historical Hg pollution within the Merrimack River Watershed