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. - Bridges the gap between the fundamentals and applications of ferroelectric and multiferroic materials for energy harvesting - Demonstrates how a range of nanomaterials play an important role in the creation of efficient energy harvesting systems - Provides new solutions for the fabrication of electronic devices for various applications

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Since Valasek's discovery of the ferroelectric properties of Rochelle salt nearly 60 years ago, ferroelectricity has been regarded as one of the tradi tional branches of dielectric physics. It has had important applications in lattice dynamics, quantum electronics, and nonlinear optics. The study of electron processes in ferroelectrics was begun with VUL's investigations of the ferroelectric properties of barium titanate [1.1]. In trinsic and extrinsic optical absorption, band structure, conductivity and photoconductivity, carrier mobility. and transport mechanisms were examined in this compound, and in other perovskite ferroelectric semiconductors. An important discovery was that of the highly photosensitive photoconducting ferroelectrics of type AVBVICVIII (e.g. SbSI) by MERZ et al. in 1962 [1.2,3]. A large number of ferroelectric semiconductors (some photosensitive, some not) are now known, including broad-band materials (e.g. lithium niobate, lithium tantalate, barium and strontium niobate, and type-A~B~I compounds), BI and narrow-band semiconductors (e.g. type_AIVB compounds). A series of improper ferroelectric semiconductors and photosensitive ferroelastics have been discovered, of which Sb 0 I is an example. s 7 Owing to the uncertainty of their band structure, the difficulty in deter mining the nature of the levels, the complexity of alloying, and their gen erally low mobility values, ferroelectrics are rarely of interest regarded as nonlinear semiconductors. The most fruitful approach has been the study of the influence of electrons (especially nonequilibrium electrons) and electron excitations on phase transitions and ferroelectric properties. A large group of phenomena have recently been discovered and investigated.