We have developed a classroom experiment suitable for undergraduate students in which they fabricate a ferroelectric capacitor from potassium nitrate and then observe the electrical behavior as the film is cooled through its transition temperature. The experiment can be carried out using a capacitance bridge that is simple to construct and inexpensive. The experiment gives students a hands-on experience with ferroelectric phenomena, a subject of considerable interest from both a fundamental and a technological standpoint.
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© 2003 American Association of Physics Teachers.
2003
American Association of Physics Teachers
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