Multiferroicity in Perovskite-Type Rare-Earth Manganites

非技术描述：该项目探索了对单相材料的结构和扭曲的基本理解，并找到了控制其物理特性的新途径，这些物理特性可能会影响多功能设备的发展。感兴趣的材料是磁电多铁性稀土锰氧化物，其中铁电性是在材料的某些磁性转变时引起的。在本项目结束时，将深入了解影响结构扭曲，键角，磁性，铁电性和磁电性的科学参数。此外，这一认识可用于合理设计具有增强极化和临界温度的磁电多铁性材料。在该项目实施过程中，（一）培训和指导了不同的本科生和研究生;（二）将成果纳入完善物理学和功能材料课程;以及（ii）通过能源俱乐部将结果传播给更广泛的受众（与当地图书馆合作），为当地高中教师提供暑期研究机会（在康涅狄格大学），并与亚拉巴马A M大学的学生密切互动&。技术规格：PI和她的团队正在合成单相纯和A/B位掺杂的正交畸变钙钛矿稀土锰氧化物，这些锰氧化物显示出磁电多铁性。 基础科研的重点是控制稀土锰氧化物A位和B位掺杂离子的平均离子半径、离子尺寸失配和磁性，并研究它们对结构、畸变、磁性、铁电转变和磁电耦合的影响。大学和国家实验室的各种最先进的表征技术和计算正在被用来培训本科生和研究生，以调查这些材料系统中的结构-变形-性能相关性的全面理解。该调查预计磁电多铁性增强的电极化和/或临界温度，这可能会影响消费电子，医疗保健和军事系统中的磁电基设备的进步的合理设计。

NON-TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION: This project explores the fundamental understanding of the structure and distortions of single-phase materials and finding new avenues to control their physical properties that may impact the advancement of multifunctional devices. The materials of interest are the magnetoelectric multiferroic rare-earth manganites in which ferroelectricity is induced when at some magnetic transition of the material. At the conclusion of this project, insights will be gained into the scientific parameters affecting the structural distortions, bond angles, magnetic, ferroelectric, and magnetoelectric properties. Furthermore, this understanding may be used in rational design of magnetoelectric multiferroics with enhanced polarization and critical temperatures. During the course of this project (i) diverse undergraduate and graduate students are being trained and mentored; (ii) results are being incorporated to refine physics and functional materials courses; and (ii) the results are being disseminated to a much broader audience through an energy club (working in cooperation with local libraries), hosting summer research opportunity for local high school teachers (at the University of Connecticut), and close interactions with students at Alabama A&M University. TECHNICAL DETAILS: The PI and her team are synthesizing single-phase pure and A/B-site doped orthorhobmically distorted perovskite rare-earth manganites that show magnetoelectric multiferroic properties. Basic scientific research is focused on controlling the average ionic radius, ionic size mismatch, and magnetic properties of the doped ions at the A- and B-sites of the rare-earth manganites and on studying their effect on the structure, distortion, magnetic properties, ferroelectric transition, and magnetoelectric coupling. Various state-of-the-art characterization techniques and calculations at university and national laboratories are being utilized to train undergraduate and graduate students in order to investigate the comprehensive understanding of structure-distortion-property correlations in these material systems. The investigation anticipates the rational design of magnetoelectric multiferroics with enhanced electric polarization and/or critical temperatures, which potentially impacts the advancement of magnetoelectric based devices in consumer electronics, health care, and military systems.