RUI: Growth and Optical Properties of Multiferroic Thin Films

非技术摘要：该奖项由布法罗州立大学材料研究部颁发，旨在支持一类新材料的实验研究，这些材料具有铁电和铁磁行为。 主要研究者和本科生使用电子束沉积方法制备薄膜，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和了解晶格应变和外部刺激对多铁性薄膜的物理性质的作用。该项目支持6至9名暑期研究生，其中很大一部分学生来自代表性不足的少数族裔（24%）和女性（60%）。这项研究为学生提供了宝贵的研究经验，否则他们不会在课堂上获得setting.Technical摘要：该奖项从材料研究部支持实验研究的多铁性RFe 2 O 4（R = Y，Dy到Lu）家庭的化合物与几何挫折的结构。该项目研究的生长条件，晶格应变，退火，氧的化学计量，和杂质的物理和多铁性的多晶和外延RFe 2 O 4薄膜的反应电子束沉积方法沉积的作用。布法罗州立学院的首席研究员和本科生使用光学和介电光谱研究RFe 2 O 4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。其目的是提供新的见解RFe 2 O 4的磁电耦合。特别是，研究重点是提高薄膜的质量，了解晶格应变和外部刺激对多铁性薄膜物理性质的作用。这一结果对推进多铁性薄膜的研究具有重要意义。该项目支持6至9名暑期研究生，其中很大一部分学生来自代表性不足的少数民族和妇女。这项研究为学生提供了宝贵的研究经验，也将为他们的工作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.