Fourier analysis applied to the recently introduced thermal pulse method yields new and unique relations between the time-dependent pyroelectric response of a thin specimen and the Fourier coefficients of the charge or polarization distribution across its thickness. The new analysis is applied illustratively to thermal pulse data for a vinylidene fluoride copolymer electret.

• Received 20 September 1977

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.40.413