CAREER: Polarization Dynamics in Ferroelectric Multilayers

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Technical AbstractThis project will pursue experimental research of electric-field driven phenomena in ferroelectric multilayer materials. This research will explore new fascinating opportunities to create materials with enhanced and unparalleled functional properties by combining several thin layers of different ferroelectric oxides in a multilayer system. The dynamics of electric polarization and the electromechanical properties of ferroelectric multilayers will be probed by time-resolved synchrotron x-ray microdiffraction. This experimental approach will be used to test predictions for polarization dynamics and unusual configurations of polarization domains in ferroelectric multilayers. The knowledge obtained in this project will improve our fundamental understanding of the physics of complex oxide systems. This can result in potentially transformative applications in 3-D non-volatile memories and tunable dielectric devices. Graduate and undergraduate students will play a pivotal role in this project. The students will travel to the U.S. national laboratories where they will get hands-on experience with modern synchrotron x-ray techniques. An important educational component of this project, the Demonstrations in Electromagnetism for elementary and middle School Kids (DESK) program, will be developed to inspire children to pursue careers in science and engineering in the future.Non-Technical AbstractThe number of naturally occurring materials is limited, but now there are fascinating opportunities to engineer new artificial materials by combining multiple layers of known materials together at the nanoscale. This Faculty Early Career Award supports research that is aimed to synthesize ultrathin multilayers of nanoscale-thick oxide films and to investigate their electrical, mechanical, and structural properties. Such new materials may have enhanced and novel properties that can be used in practical applications including nanoelectromechanical systems, high-density electronic memories, and alternative energy technologies. This research will advance our understanding of the structure-properties relationships of the multilayer systems at the nanoscale. The anticipated results of this research will lead to new theoretical models and approaches to materials design, which will impact a broad community of scientists and engineers. The educational component of this project will establish a new program, Demonstrations in Electromagnetism for elementary and middle School Kids (DESK), which is aimed to inspire children to pursue careers in science in the future. Another essential educational part of the project is that graduate and undergraduate students involved in research will travel to the national laboratory facilities where they will get hands-on experience with state-of-the-art scientific tools and interact with world-renowned scientists.