Electrocaloric thermal management devices: Toward high-efficiency solid-state refrigeration

doi:10.1088/1674-1056/ae3309

Abstract Addressing the urgent demands for intelligent, miniaturized, and efficient thermal management in modern electronics, alongside the energy and environmental constraints, the development of compact and high-performance cooling systems has become imperative. The electrocaloric (EC) effect, which enables reversible entropy and temperature changes in dielectric materials through electric-field-controlled polarization, offers distinct advantages including high efficiency, fast response, and ease of integration. This review outlines the thermodynamic principles and surveys the evolution of EC thermal management devices. Ceramic-based EC devices exhibit strong potential for high-power applications due to their high thermal conductivity and thermal stability, while polymer-based EC devices are suited for wearable and flexible integration because of their mechanical compliance and processability. This review further contrasts the design, actuation, and application profiles of these platforms. Despite notable progress, challenges remain in long-term stability, multi-physics coupling, miniaturized integration, and environmental adaptability. Advances in material understanding, device design, and intelligent system control will position EC technology as a key enabler of efficient, compact, and sustainable next-generation thermal management.

Keywords: electrocaloric effect thermal management device coefficient of performance high-power and wearable refrigeration

Received: 22 November 2025
Revised: 27 December 2025
Accepted manuscript online: 04 January 2026

PACS:	07.20.-n	(Thermal instruments and apparatus)
	85.50.-n	(Dielectric, ferroelectric, and piezoelectric devices)
	77.84.-s	(Dielectric, piezoelectric, ferroelectric, and antiferroelectric materials)
	77.90.+k	(Other topics in dielectrics, piezoelectrics, and ferroelectrics and their properties)

Fund: We acknowledge the support by the fellowship of China National Postdoctoral Program for Innovative Talents (Grant No. BX20250287), the National Natural Science Fundation of China (Grant Nos. 523B2108, 52273248, and 52473215), the National Key R&D Program of China (Grant No. 2020YFA0711500), the Municipal Natural Science Foundation of Tianjin (Grant No. 24JCJQJC00230), Scientific Research Innovation Capability Support Project for Young Faculty, and China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (Grant No. 2023M731783).

Corresponding Authors: Rujun Ma
E-mail: malab@nankai.edu.cn

Cite this article:

Yiwen Bo(薄轶文) and Rujun Ma(马儒军) Electrocaloric thermal management devices: Toward high-efficiency solid-state refrigeration 2026 Chin. Phys. B 35 070701

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Electrocaloric thermal management devices: Toward high-efficiency solid-state refrigeration

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