Magnetic, Ferroelectric, and Multiferroic Metal Oxides covers the fundamental and theoretical aspects of ferroics and magnetoelectrics, their properties, and important technological applications, serving as the most comprehensive, up-to-date reference on the subject. Organized in four parts, Dr. Biljana Stojanovic leads expert contributors in providing the context to understand the material (Part I: Introduction), the theoretical and practical aspects of ferroelectrics (Part II: Ferroelectrics: From Theory, Structure and Preparation to Application), magnetic metal oxides (Part III: Magnetic Oxides: Ferromagnetics, Antiferromagnetics and Ferrimagnetics), multiferroics (Part IV: Multiferroic Metal Oxides) and future directions in research and application (Part V: Future of Metal Oxide Ferroics and Multiferroics). As ferroelectric materials are used to make capacitors with high dielectric constant, transducers, and actuators, and in sensors, reed heads, and memories based on giant magnetoresistive effects, this book will provide an ideal source for the most updated information. - Addresses ferroelectrics, ferromagnetics and multiferroelectrics, providing a one-stop reference for researchers - Provides fundamental theory and relevant, important technological applications - Highlights their use in capacitors with high dielectric constant, transducers, and actuators, and in sensors, reed heads, and memories based on giant magnetoresistive effects

Dieses Buch beleuchtet die wichtigsten Aspekte der Verarbeitung und Charakterisierung von Ferroelektrika und Multiferroika auf Nanoebene, präsentiert eine umfassende Beschreibung der jeweiligen Eigenschaften und legt dabei den Schwerpunkt auf die Unterscheidung von Größeneffekten bei extrinsischen Eigenschaften wie Rand- oder Interface-Effekte. Eingegangen wird auch auf neuartige Nanoebene. Das Fachbuch ist in drei Abschnitte unterteilt und beschreibt die Verarbeitung (Nanostrukturierung), Charakterisierung (nanostrukturierter Materialien) und Nanoeffekte. Unter Rückgriff auf die Synergien zwischen Nano-Ferroelektrika und -Multiferroika werden Materialien behandelt, die auf allen Ebenen einer Nanostrukturierung unterzogen werden, von Technologien für keramische Materialien wie ferroelektrische Nanopulver, nanostrukturierte Keramiken und Dickschichten sowie magnetoelektrische Nanokomposit-Materialien bis hin zu freistehenden Nanoobjekten mit spezifischen Geometrien wie Nanodrähte und Nanoröhren auf verschiedenen Entwicklungsstufen. Grundlage des Buches ist die europäische Wissensplattform im Wissenschaftsbereich innerhalb der Aktion von COST (Europäische Zusammenarbeit in Wissenschaft und Technik) zu ein- und mehrphasigen Ferroika und Multiferroika mit begrenzten Geometrien (SIMUFER, Ref. MP0904). Die Autoren der Kapitelbeiträge wurden sorgfältig ausgewählt, haben allesamt ganz wesentlich zur Wissensbasis für das jeweilige Thema beigetragen und gehören vor allem zu den renommiertesten Wissenschaftlern des Fachgebiets.

The book covers experiments and theory in the fields of ferroelectrics, ferromagnets, ferroelastics, and multiferroics. Topics include experimental preparation and characterization of magnetoelectric multiferroics, the modeling of ferroelectric and ferromagnetic materials, the formation of ferroic microstructures and their continuum-mechanical modeling, computational homogenization, and the algorithmic treatment in the framework of numerical solution strategies.

Nanoscale Ferroelectric-Multiferroic Materials for Energy Harvesting Applications presents the latest information in the emerging field of multiferroic materials research, exploring applications in energy conversion and harvesting at the nanoscale. The book covers crystal and microstructure, ferroelectric, piezoelectric and multiferroic physical properties, along with their characterization. Special attention is given to the design and tailoring of ferroelectric, magnetic and multiferroic materials and their interaction among ferroics. The fundamentals of energy conversion are incorporated, along with the requirements of materials for this process. Finally, a range of applications is presented, demonstrating the progression from fundamentals to applied science. This essential resource describes the link between the basic physical properties of these materials and their applications in the field of energy harvest. It will be a useful resource for graduate students, early career researchers, academics and industry professionals working in areas related to energy conversion.

Multiferroics, materials with a coexistence of magnetic and ferroelectric order, provide an efficient route for the control of magnetism by electric fields. The authors cover multiferroic thin-film heterostructures, device architectures and domain/interface effects. They critically discuss achievements as well as limitations and assess opportunities for future applications.

In the quest for higher data density in information technology manipulation of magnetization by other means than magnetic fields has become an important challenge. This lead to a startling revival of the magnetoelectric effect, which characterizes induction of a polarization by a magnetic field or of a magnetization by an electric field. The magnetoelectric crosslink of material properties opens just those degrees of freedom which are needed for the mutual control of magnetic and electric states. The book gives a state-of-the-art review on magnetoelectrics research, classifies current research tendencies, and points out possible future trends. Novel compounds and growth techniques and new theoretical concepts for the understanding of magnetoelectric coupling phenomena are introduced. Highlights are the discovery of "gigantic" magnetoelectric effects which are strong enough to trigger electric or magnetic phase transitions; the concept of magnetochirality; and development "structural" magnetoelectric effects in artificial multiphase compounds. The book is addressed to condensed-matter physicists with a particular focus on experts in highly correlated systems.

This book is dedicated to modeling and application of magnetoelectric (ME) effects in layered and bulk composites based on magnetostrictive and piezoelectric materials. Currently, numerous theoretical and experimental studies on ME composites are available but few on the development and research of instruments based on them. So far, only investigation of ME magnetic field sensors has been cited in the existing literature. However, these studies have finally resulted in the creation of low-frequency ME magnetic field sensors with parameters substantially exceeding the characteristics of Hall sensors. The book presents the authors’ many years of experience gained in ME composites and through creation of device models based on their studies. It describes low-frequency ME devices, such as current and position sensors and energy harvesters, and microwave ME devices, such as antennas, attenuators, filters, gyrators, and phase shifters.

Using the nano metric resolution of atomic force microscopy techniques, this work explores the rich fundamental physics and novel functionalities of domain walls in ferroelectric materials, the nano scale interfaces separating regions of differently oriented spontaneous polarization. Due to the local symmetry-breaking caused by the change in polarization, domain walls are found to possess an unexpected lateral piezoelectric response, even when this is symmetry-forbidden in the parent material. This has interesting potential applications in electromechanical devices based on ferroelectric domain patterning. Moreover, electrical conduction is shown to arise at domain walls in otherwise insulating lead zirconate titanate, the first such observation outside of multiferroic bismuth ferrite, due to the tendency of the walls to localize defects. The role of defects is then explored in the theoretical framework of disordered elastic interfaces possessing a characteristic roughness scaling and complex dynamic response. It is shown that the heterogeneous disorder landscape in ferroelectric thin films leads to a breakdown of the usual self-affine roughness, possibly related to strong pinning at individual defects. Finally, the roles of varying environmental conditions and defect densities in domain switching are explored and shown to be adequately modelled as a competition between screening effects and pinning.

Technological evolution and revolution are both driven by the discovery of new functionalities, new materials and the design of yet smaller, faster, and more energy-efficient components. Progress is being made at a breathtaking pace, stimulated by the rapidly growing demand for more powerful and readily available information technology. High-speed internet and data-streaming, home automation, tablets and smartphones are now "necessities" for our everyday lives. Consumer expectations for progressively more data storage and exchange appear to be insatiable. Oxide electronics is a promising and relatively new field that has the potential to trigger major advances in information technology. Oxide interfaces are particularly intriguing. Here, low local symmetry combined with an increased susceptibility to external fields leads to unusual physical properties distinct from those of the homogeneous bulk. In this context, ferroic domain walls have attracted recent attention as a completely new type of oxide interface. In addition to their functional properties, such walls are spatially mobile and can be created, moved, and erased on demand. This unique degree of flexibility enables domain walls to take an active role in future devices and hold a great potential as multifunctional 2D systems for nanoelectronics. With domain walls as reconfigurable electronic 2D components, a new generation of adaptive nano-technology and flexible circuitry becomes possible, that can be altered and upgraded throughout the lifetime of the device. Thus, what started out as fundamental research, at the limit of accessibility, is finally maturing into a promising concept for next-generation technology.

This book highlights the fundamentals of ferrites and multiferroic materials with special attention to their structure, types, and properties. It presents a comprehensive survey about ferrite and multiferroic materials, in areas significant to research and development in academia as well as in industry. The book discusses various types of methods applied for their synthesis and characterizations. This book is concerned with the fascinating class of materials with the promise for wide-ranging applications, including electromagnets, magnetic fluid hyperthermia, antenna applications, memory devices, switching circuits, bio-medical applications, actuators, magnetic field sensors and water purification, etc.