Artificially Structured Multiferroic Composites based on the Heusler alloys

目前对提高竞争力和可持续性的需求要求知识型社会开发具有新功能和更好性能的新材料，这是科学和技术创新的驱动力。组装到复合结构中的铁磁Heusler合金可以提供在单相合金中未观察到的独特性质，从而形成单个成分的固有性质的相互作用。这项研究计划的目的是进行实验工作，旨在了解磁，热力学，结构，弹性和电性能之间的耦合，影响基于Heusler的层状复合材料中的magnetocalorc和磁电现象，并提高控制这些性能的过程的知识跨越长度尺度。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。在该计划的框架内，我们将开发基于Heusler合金的复合材料层结构的合成程序，我们将掌握各种先进的技术来表征其性能，我们将研究如何使这些复合材料系统功能化，以便它们可以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感测和致动应用、用于热电能量转换装置的应用、集成磁电和机电系统、逻辑和存储器应用以及自旋电子应用。新型多功能材料的迅速出现使得提出的研究计划特别及时。发展对Heusler基多铁性复合材料的结构和性能的更好的了解，与年轻科学家的培训相联系，他们将了解如何根据我们的需求定制他们的性能，这将对加拿大大有裨益，它不仅会对先进材料领域产生影响，而且还会对制造，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.