MRSEC: Polarization and Spin Phenomena in Nanoferroic Structures (P-SPINS)

*非技术摘要*铁性材料的特点是磁极化或电极化可切换，这使它们在先进技术应用中具有重要意义。内布拉斯加州大学林肯分校的材料研究科学与工程中心(MRSEC)支持一项名为纳米铁结构(P-SPINS)中的极化和自旋现象的跨学科研究项目。该项目的中心是在纳米尺度上研究新的铁性材料和结构，旨在加深对它们的性质和相关现象的基本了解，这些现象对信息处理和存储、能量收集和先进电子学非常重要。P-SPINS的教育和推广计划鼓励有天赋的年轻人追求科学事业，扩大未被充分代表的群体对科学的参与，并提高普通公众的材料素养。*技术摘要*P-SPINS由两个跨学科研究小组(IRGS)组成。IRG1《磁电材料与功能界面》主要研究复杂功能异质结构中的磁电性及其超越静态平衡和线性响应的非常规用途。这个IRG协同探索了磁电体材料和薄膜中的动态应变驱动相变、电压控制的熵变、具有存储和逻辑功能的超低功率器件的磁电异质结构，以及界面磁各向异性和交换偏置的电学调节。IRG2“极化使能电子现象”利用铁电极化作为状态变量来实现新型氧化物、有机和混合异质结构的极化使能电子和输运特性。这个IRG研究了铁电诱导的电阻开关效应，铁电/半导体和有机混合界面上的电子限制调制，分子铁电结构中的偶极有序，以及极化使能电子性质的操纵。为了应对材料研究中的这些挑战，P-SPINS依赖于跨学科合作、广泛使用共享设施、与国家实验室和国际机构的伙伴关系以及与工业公司的互动，以利用预期的科学创新来实现潜在的技术进步。作为该中心不可或缺的一部分，P-SPINS保持着一系列标志性的教育和推广活动，旨在增加在材料科学领域追求并取得成功的个人的数量、质量和多样性。

****Nontechnical abstract****Ferroic materials are characterized by switchable magnetic or electric polarizations which make them interesting for advanced technological applications. The Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln supports an interdisciplinary research project named Polarization and Spin Phenomena in Nanoferroic Structures (P-SPINS). This project is centered on studies of new ferroic materials and structures at the nanoscale aimed at developing the fundamental understanding of their properties and related phenomena important for information processing and storage, energy harvesting, and advanced electronics. P-SPINS's education and outreach programs encourage gifted young people to pursue scientific careers, broaden the participation of underrepresented groups in science, and improve materials literacy among the general public. ****Technical abstract****P-SPINS is organized into two interdisciplinary research groups (IRGs). IRG1 "Magnetoelectric Materials and Functional Interfaces" is focused on magnetoelectricity in complex functional heterostructures and its unconventional use beyond the realm of static equilibrium and linear response. This IRG synergistically explores dynamic strain-driven phase transitions in magnetoelectric bulk materials and thin films, voltage-controlled entropy changes, magnetoelectric heterostructures for ultra-low power devices with memory and logic functions, and electrical tuning of interface magnetic anisotropy and exchange bias. IRG2 "Polarization-Enabled Electronic Phenomena" exploits ferroelectric polarization as a state variable to realize new polarization-enabled electronic and transport properties of novel oxide, organic, and hybrid heterostructures. This IRG investigates ferroelectrically induced resistive switching effects, modulation of electronic confinement at the hybrid ferroelectric/semiconductor and organic interfaces, dipole ordering in molecular ferroelectric structures, and manipulation of polarization-enabled electronic properties. To address these challenges in materials research P-SPINS relies on interdisciplinary collaborations, extensive use of shared facilities, partnerships with national laboratories and international institutions and interactions with industrial companies to leverage the expected scientific innovations for potential technological advances. As an integral part of the center, P-SPINS maintains a portfolio of signature education and outreach activities designed to increase the number, quality, and diversity of individuals pursuing and succeeding at careers in materials science.