Nanoferroics

This book covers the physical properties of nanosized ferroics, also called nanoferroics. Nanoferroics are an important class of ceramic materials that substitute conventional ceramic ferroics in modern electronic devices. They include ferroelectric, ferroelastic, magnetic and multiferroic nanostructured materials. The phase transitions and properties of these nanostructured ferroics are strongly affected by the geometric confinement originating from surfaces and interfaces. As a consequence, these materials exhibit a behavior different from the corresponding bulk crystalline, ceramic and powder ferroics. This monograph offers comprehensive coverage of size- and shape-dependent effects at the nanoscale; the specific properties that these materials have been shown to exhibit; the theoretical approaches that have been successful in describing the size-dependent effects observed experimentally; and the technological aspects of many chemical and physico-chemical nanofabrication methods relevant to making nanoferroic materials and composites. The book will be of interest to an audience of condensed matter physicists, material scientists and engineers, working on ferroic nanostructured materials, their fundamentals, fabrication and device applications.

The field of ferroelectricity has greatly expanded and changed in recent times. In addition to classical organic and inorganic ferroelectrics, new fields and materials, unknown or inactive 20 to 40 years ago, have appeared. They are important for both basic science and applications, and show technological promise for novel multifunctional devices. New fields include multiferroic magnetoelectric systems, where spontaneous polarization and spontaneous magnetization are allowed to coexist; incommensurate ferroelectrics, where the periodicity of the order parameter is incommensurate to the periodicity of the underlying basic crystal lattice; ferroelectric liquid crystals; dipolar glasses; relaxor ferroelectrics; ferroelectric thin films; nanoferroelectrics. These new fields are not only of basic physical interest, but also of great technological importance, allowing the design of new memory devices, spintronic applications, and the design of electro-optic devices. They are also important for applications in acoustics, robotics, telecommunications and medicine. The book is primarily intended for material scientists working in research or industry. It is also intended for graduate and doctoral students and can be used as a textbook in graduate courses. Finally, it should be useful for anybody interested in following the developments in modern solid state physics.

Recent Advances in Topological Ferroics and Their Dynamics, Volume 70 in the Solid State Physics series, provides the latest information on the branch of physics that is primarily devoted to the study of matter in its solid phase, especially at the atomic level. This prestigious serial presents timely and state-of-the-art reviews pertaining to all aspects of solid state physics. Contains contributions from leading authorities in the study of solid state physics, especially at the atomic level Informs and updates on all the latest developments in the field Presents timely, state-of-the-art reviews pertaining to all aspects of solid state physics

This two volume set reviews the key issues in processing and characterization of nanoscale ferroelectrics and multiferroics, and provides a comprehensive description of their properties, with an emphasis in differentiating size effects of extrinsic ones like boundary or interface effects. Recently described nanoscale novel phenomena are also addressed. Organized into three parts it addresses key issues in processing (nanostructuring), characterization (of the nanostructured materials) and nanoscale effects. Taking full advantage of the synergies between nanoscale ferroelectrics and multiferroics, the text covers materials nanostructured at all levels, from ceramic technologies like ferroelectric nanopowders, bulk nanostructured ceramics and thick films, and magnetoelectric nanocomposites, to thin films, either polycrystalline layer heterostructures or epitaxial systems, and to nanoscale free standing objects with specific geometries, such as nanowires and tubes at different levels of development. This set is developed from the high level European scientific knowledge platform built within the COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology) Action on Single and multiphase ferroics and multiferroics with restricted geometries (SIMUFER, ref. MP0904). Chapter contributors have been carefully selected, and have all made major contributions to knowledge of the respective topics, and overall, they are among most respected scientists in the field.

Flexoelectricity is the ability of materials to generate a voltage when they are bent or, conversely, to bend under voltage. Flexoelectricity can be present in all materials; however, the magnitude of the flexoelectric coefficients is so small that flexoelectricity is virtually imperceptible on the human scale. The book's objective is to look at the flexoelectric effect in ceramics for various applications point of view such as sensor, actuator and energy harvesting etc. It briefly discusses the flexoelectric effect theories and models with the latest development in this field. Several methods are discussed to increase the flexoelectric effect in ferroelectric and other ceramics. It focused on the latest development in various possible applications such as flexopyroelectric, flexocaloric and nano energy generators. Apart from these, it will also discuss the inverse flexoelectric effect, flexoelectric effect in 2D materials, ambiguities and controversies in this field. This book resolved many questions related to flexoelectricity and made significant discoveries with profound implications beyond flexoelectricity, in such diverse areas as caloric or MEMS devices, etc. It covers the most recent breakthroughs in nano-generator, composite-based ceramics to maximize energy harvesting and storage. Therefore, this book will be handy for a researcher working in this direction of ceramics and can be a reference book for allied specializations. It will open a new approach to using the flexoelectric effect in various ceramics and varieties of applications. Provides an in-depth study of the flexoelectric effect of a broad range of ceramic materials It updates the state of art progress that has been done in the area of flexoelectric-based energy harvesting via nano-generator or nanocomposites of ceramics Provides most recent advancement in the area of lead-free, lead-based ceramics, 2D material, flexocaloric and flexopyroelectric applications The inverse flexoelectric effect is discussed in detail, which helps newcomers and expert researchers, scientists, and engineers working in this field Includes an evaluation of ambiguities and controversies about the flexoelectric effect

The book is devoted to the 70th birthday of Prof. Sergey M. Aizikovich, which will celebrated on August 2nd 2021. His scientific interests are related to the following topics: Mechanics of contact interactions, Functionally graded materials, Mechanics of fracture, Integral equations of mathematical physics, Inverse problems of the theory of elasticity, and Applications of elasticity to biological and medical problems of mechanics of materials. The papers, collected in the book, are contributions of authors from 10 countries.

As the first of its kind, this book identifies major questions and challenges that will influence research on domain walls in the years to come.

A structure is an assembly that serves an engineering function. A smart structure is one that serves this function smartly, i.e. by responding adaptively in a pre-designed useful and efficient manner to changing environmental conditions. Adaptive behaviour of one or more materials constituting a smart structure requires nonlinear response. This book describes the three main types of nonlinear-response materials: ferroic materials, soft materials, and nanostructured materials. Information processing by biological and artificial smart structures is also discussed. A smart structure typically has sensors, actuators, and a control system. Progress in all these aspects of smart structures has leant heavily on mimicking Nature, and the all-important notion in this context has been that of evolution. Artificial Darwinian and Lamarckian evolution holds the key to the development of truly smart structures. Modestly intelligent robots are already on the horizon. Projections about the low-cost availability of adequate computing power and memory size indicate that the future really belongs to smart structures. This book covers in a compact format the entire gamut of concepts relevant to smart structures. It should be of interest to a wide range of students and professionals in science and engineering.