NER: Nanowire-Based Multiferroic Oxide Heterostructures

本研究的目的是多铁性铁磁-铁电纳米线异质结构的合成和表征，以便从根本上理解新颖的一维系统中磁电效应的双重功能。多铁性材料是其中铁电、铁磁/反铁磁和铁弹性相中的至少两种共存的材料。这些磁性、电子和形状改变性质的耦合（称为磁电效应）允许在单相或复合材料系统中具有独特的双重功能。该方法将使用气相和溶液合成技术制备CoFe 2 O 4-BaTiO 3核壳纳米线异质结构。为了使活性特性合理化，作为合成条件和几何形状的函数，将使用透射电子显微镜对复合纳米结构进行详细的材料表征。合成的纳米线的磁性，铁电性和磁电性能将使用各种方法进行量化。智力优势：相对未开发的多铁性纳米结构的几何形状提供了几种可能性，以了解和利用铁电和铁磁材料之间的耦合效应。复合磁电纳米线的发展为新型存储介质、致动器、换能器和其他几种实时传感器应用提供了潜在的新技术机会。更广泛的影响：研究成果将通过年度研讨会与亚拉巴马大学信息技术材料多学科中心的工业赞助商直接对接。这将为教师和学生提供传播研究成果的独特机会。该研究项目还将帮助指导代表性不足的学生通过参加本科生暑期研究经验（REU）计划进入研究型职业。

The objective of this research is the synthesis and characterization of multiferroic ferromagnetic-ferroelectric nanowire heterostructures in order to fundamentally understand the dual functionality of the magneto-electric effect in novel one-dimensional systems. Multiferroics are materials in which at least two of the ferroelectric, ferro/antiferro-magnetic and ferroelastic phases co-exist. The coupling of these magnetic, electronic and shape altering properties, referred to as a magneto-electric effect, allows for unique dual functionality in a single-phase or composite material system. The approach will be to fabricate core-shell nanowire heterostructures of CoFe2O4 - BaTiO3 using vapor phase and solution synthesis techniques. To rationalize the active properties as a function of synthesis conditions and geometry, detailed materials characterization of the composite nanostrustructure will be conducted using transmission electron microscopy. The magnetic, ferroelectric and magnetoelectric properties of the synthesized nanowires will be quantified using various methods. Intellectual Merit: The relatively unexplored nanostructured geometry for multiferroics offers several possibilities to understand and exploit the coupling effects between ferroelectric and ferromagnetic materials. The development of composite magnetoelectric nanowires provides for potentially new technological opportunities in novel memory storage media, actuators, transducers and several other real-time sensor applications. Broader Impact:The research results will be directly interfaced with the industrial sponsors of the multi-disciplinary Center for Materials for Information Technology at the University of Alabama through yearly workshops. This will provide faculty and students unique opportunities to disseminate the research results. The research project will also help direct an underrepresented student into a research orientated career through participation in the summer research experience for undergraduate (REU) program.