RUI: Growth and Optical Properties of Multiferroic Thin Films

摘要：该奖项由布法罗州立大学材料研究部颁发，用于支持对一类具有铁电和铁磁特性的新型材料的实验研究。本课题组和本科生采用电子束沉积法制备薄膜，并研究薄膜生长参数，以提高材料的质量和物理性能。研究的重点是提高薄膜的质量，了解晶格应变和外部刺激对多铁薄膜物理性能的作用。该项目支持6至9名暑期研究学生，其中很大一部分学生来自少数族裔（24%）和女性（60%）。这项研究为学生提供了宝贵的研究经验，否则他们将无法在课堂上获得。技术摘要：该奖项由材料研究部颁发，用于支持具有几何挫折结构的多铁性RFe2O4 （R = Y, Dy to Lu）族化合物的实验研究。本项目研究了生长条件、晶格应变、退火、氧化学计量学和杂质对反应电子束沉积法沉积的多晶和外延RFe2O4薄膜的物理和多铁性能的影响。首席研究员和布法罗州立大学的本科生利用光学和介电光谱研究了RFe2O4薄膜的光学和介电性质、自旋-电荷-晶格耦合以及结构-性质关系。目的是为RFe2O4的磁电耦合提供新的见解。特别是，研究的重点是提高薄膜的质量，了解晶格应变和外部刺激对多铁薄膜物理性能的作用。研究结果对推进多铁薄膜的研究具有重要意义。该项目支持6至9名暑期研究学生，其中很大一部分学生来自代表性不足的少数民族和女性。这项研究为学生提供了宝贵的研究经验，也将为他们的就业和研究生学习做好准备。

Non-technical Abstract:This award from the Division of Materials Research to Buffalo State College supports experimental research on a new class of materials which exhibit ferroelectric and ferromagnetic behavior. The principal investigator and undergraduate students prepare thin films using an electron-beam deposition method and study the thin film growth parameters to improve the quality and the physical properties of the materials. The research focuses on improving the quality of thin films and understanding the role of lattice strains and external stimuli on the physical properties of multiferroic thin films. The project support 6 to 9 summer research students with a substantial fraction of students coming from underrepresented minorities (24%) and women (60%). The research provides the students with a valuable research experience that they would not otherwise gain in the classroom setting.Technical Abstract: This award from the Division of Materials Research supports experimental research on the multiferroic RFe2O4 (R = Y, Dy to Lu) family of compounds with geometrically frustrated structures. The project studies the role of the growth conditions, lattice strains, annealing, oxygen stoichiometry, and impurities on the physical and multiferroic properties of polycrystalline and epitaxial RFe2O4 thin films deposited by a reactive electron-beam deposition method. The principal investigator and undergraduate students at Buffalo State College investigate the optical and dielectric properties, spin-charge-lattice couplings, and structure-property relationship in the RFe2O4 thin films using optical and dielectric spectroscopy. The objective is to offer new insight into the magnetoelectric coupling of RFe2O4. In particular, the research focuses on improving the quality of thin films and understanding the role of lattice strains and external stimuli on the physical properties of multiferroic thin films. The results will be important to advancing the multiferroic thin film research. The project supports 6 to 9 summer research students with a substantial fraction of students coming from underrepresented minorities and women. The research provides the students with a valuable research experience and will also prepare them for jobs and the graduate studies.