Perturbative approach to electrocaloric effects

Abstract: We show that the electrocaloric (EC) effect -- e.g., the temperature change experienced by an insulator upon application of an electric bias -- lends itself to a straightforward interpretation when expressed as a Taylor series in the external field. Our formalism explains in a unified and simple way the most notable small-field effects reported the literature -- e.g., the so-called {\em normal} (increase of temperature under bias, as usually found in ferroelectrics) and {\em inverse} (decrease of temperature, as e.g. in antiferroelectrics) EC responses -- and clarifies their physical interpretation. We also discuss in detail second-principles simulations for prototype ferroelectric PbTiO$_{3}$, explicitly evaluating subtle predictions of the theory, such as the occurrence of competing contributions to the EC response.