Nanoferroics

This book covers the physical properties of nanosized ferroics, also called nanoferroics. Nanoferroics are an important class of ceramic materials that substitute conventional ceramic ferroics in modern electronic devices. They include ferroelectric, ferroelastic, magnetic and multiferroic nanostructured materials. The phase transitions and properties of these nanostructured ferroics are strongly affected by the geometric confinement originating from surfaces and interfaces. As a consequence, these materials exhibit a behavior different from the corresponding bulk crystalline, ceramic and powder ferroics. This monograph offers comprehensive coverage of size- and shape-dependent effects at the nanoscale; the specific properties that these materials have been shown to exhibit; the theoretical approaches that have been successful in describing the size-dependent effects observed experimentally; and the technological aspects of many chemical and physico-chemical nanofabrication methods relevant to making nanoferroic materials and composites. The book will be of interest to an audience of condensed matter physicists, material scientists and engineers, working on ferroic nanostructured materials, their fundamentals, fabrication and device applications.

Author Biography

M.D. Glinchuk, Doctor of Science and Professor of Physics, is Head of the Department of Functional Oxide Materials at the Institute of Material Science NAS of Ukraine, in Kiev. Academic interests: Theory of disordered ferroelectrics, ferroelectric thin films and multilayers, multiferroics, nanoferroics. A.V. Ragulya, Doctor of Science and Professor of Physics, is Head of the Department of physical chemistry and technology of nanostructured ceramics and nanocomposites at the Institute of Material Science NAS of Ukraine, Kiev. Academic interests: Technology of ceramic materials (e.g. ferroelectrics and ferromagnets), ceramic nanopowders, physical and chemical properties of ferroelectric nanomaterials. V.A. Stephanovich, Doctor of Science and Professor of Physics, Opole University, Poland. Academic interests: Theory of ferroelectrics, multiferroics, classical and quantum magnetism, topological defects, magnetic nanoparticles, objects with confined geometry like thin films and nanoparticles.