Artificially Structured Multiferroic Composites based on the Heusler alloys

当今知识型社会对提高竞争力和可持续性的要求要求开发具有新功能和更好性能的新材料，这些新材料是科技创新的驱动力。组装成复合结构的铁磁Heusler合金可以提供在单相合金中观察不到的独特性能，这是由于单个成分的内在性能相互作用造成的。本研究计划的目的是开展实验工作，旨在了解影响Heusler基层状复合材料中磁热和磁电现象的磁性、热力学、结构、弹性和电学性质之间的耦合，并推进对控制这些性质跨越长度尺度的过程的了解。这些知识将为设计具有所需功能的新型先进材料提供科学平台，这些材料可以根据我们的需求量身定制。在这个项目的框架内，我们将开发基于Heusler合金的复合层结构的合成程序，我们将掌握各种先进的技术来表征其性能，我们将研究如何功能化这些复合系统，使它们能够在不同的应用和设备中找到自己的位置。这些应用包括但不限于传感和驱动应用、热电能量转换装置的应用、集成磁电和机电系统、逻辑和存储应用以及自旋电子应用。新型多功能材料的迅速涌现，使得提出的研究计划显得尤为及时。更好地了解基于Heusler的多铁复合材料的结构和性能，并与培训年轻科学家联系起来，他们将了解如何根据我们的需求定制其性能，这将对加拿大大有裨益，这不仅将对先进材料领域产生影响，而且将对制造、健康、安全和环境产生影响。

Current demands for improved competitiveness and sustainability require from a knowledge-based society a development of new materials with new functionalities and better performance that are drivers of innovation in science and technology. Ferromagnetic Heusler alloys assembled into the composite architectures may offer unique properties, not observed in single-phase alloys, resulting form the interplay of the intrinsic properties of individual constituents. The aim of this research program is to carry out experimental work designed to understand the coupling between magnetic, thermodynamic, structural, elastic and electric properties that influence magnetocalorc and magnetoelectric phenomena in Heusler based layered composites and to advance knowledge of the processes that control these properties across the length scales. This knowledge will provide a scientific platform for the design of new advanced materials with desired functionalities that can be tailored for our needs. Within a framework of this program we will develop procedures for synthesis of composite layer structures based on Heusler alloys, we will master various advanced techniques for the characterization of their properties and we will study how to functionalize these composite systems so that they can find their niche in different applications and devices. These applications comprise, but are not limited to, sensing and actuating applications, applications for thermoelectric energy conversion devices, integrated magneto-electric and electro-mechanical systems, logic and memory applications and spintronic applications. The rapid emergence of new class of multifunctional materials makes the proposed research program particularly timely. Development of a better knowledge of structure and properties of Heusler based multiferroic composites, linked to the training of young scientist, who will understand how to tailor their properties for our demands, will be of great benefit to Canada and it will have an impact not only on the area of advanced materials, but also on manufacturing, health, safety and the environment.