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Ferroelectrics and multiferroics are a class of materials that exhibit switching of their physical properties under an external influence. Ferroelectrics demonstrate a switchable electric polarization when an electric field is applied. Multiferroics exhibit a similar ‘ferroic’ behaviour in two or more of their (usually electric, magnetic or elastic) properties.
Low-dimensional ferroelectric systems are predicted to have topologically nontrivial polar structures, such as vortices or skyrmions. Here authors present atomic-scale 3D topological polar structures in BaTiO3 nanoparticles using atomic electron tomography and revealed their size-dependent transitions.
Magnetoelectric (ME) microelectromechanical and nanoelectromechanical systems (M/NEMS) are vital for addressing the challenges of the internet of things (IoT) networks in size, energy efficiency and communication. This Review delves into ME materials and M/NEMS for IoT applications, such as sensing and communication technologies.
Polarization reversal dynamics in sliding ferroelectrics is important for the application in slidetronics. Here, the authors observe the interlayer directional sliding induced polarization switching with simultaneous hysteresis response in γ-InSe:Y.
An electron glass state usually occurs in disordered insulating systems. Here the authors report evidence of glassy dynamics of conduction electrons in an electron-doped quantum paraelectric material KTaO3, in the good metal regime, where quantum fluctuations play an important role.
The tetragonal tungsten bronzes are promising for high-temperature energy storage applications but the mechanisms for their broad dielectric responses are unclear. Here, a comprehensive experimental and theoretical study of Sr2NaNb5O15 explains its two large dielectric anomalies in terms of structural transitions.
Electrocaloric effects have not hitherto been experimentally studied at a phase transition created by strain. It is now shown that the continuous transition created by epitaxial strain in strontium titanate films greatly enhances electrocaloric effects over a wide range of temperatures, including room temperature.
By forming a heterostructure interface, and by judicious choice of crystallographic orientation, piezoelectrics are developed that show expansion or contraction along all axes on application of an electric field.
By inserting an epitaxial in-plane buffer layer of Bi5FeTi3O15, an artificial flux closure architecture enables ferroelectric polarization from a single unit cell of BaTiO3 or BiFeO3.
An article in Nature Electronics reports the integration of a ferroelectric gate with a transition metal dichalcogenide heterostructure in a device that can work both as a reconfigurable logic switch and as a neuromorphic device.
The guiding of magnetic fields by soft ferromagnetic solids is well known and exploited in magnetic shielding applications. Now, ferroelectric nematic liquids are shown to analogously guide electric fields.