Scientists Talk about Materials with Spontaneous Polarization

09:41, August 30, 2021

A conference on topical issues in the physics of ferroelectrics started at the university

On August 26-28, Ural Federal University is hosting the All-Russian Conference on the Physics of Ferroelectrics (VKS-XXII). Its participants discuss phase transitions and critical phenomena, crystal lattice structure and dynamics, domain engineering, and other aspects.

"In recent decades, domain engineering has evolved into one of the most important areas of ferroelectric science and technology. The main goal of domain engineering is to fabricate stable domain structures with a given geometry in commercially available ferroelectrics with characteristics important for applications," says Vladimir Shur, a member of the organizing committee and director of the Ural Federal University's Contemporary Nanotechnology Center.

The possibility of spatial modulation of electro-optical, photorefractive, piezoelectric, and nonlinear optical properties by creating a periodic ferroelectric domain structure opens up broad possibilities for making new devices with record characteristics, continues Vladimir Shur. The relatively low price of the devices can be obtained by using lithographic methods to create a precision regular domain structure.

The conference is held in a combined format: some of the participants will present oral and poster reports in the online format, which does not interfere with the active discussion, according to the organizers. Scientists from Russia, Germany, Czech Republic, Canada, Portugal, and Israel will talk about the latest scientific achievements in the field of relaxor ferroelectrics, multiferroics, domain structure, and numerous practical applications of ferroelectrics and related materials. The program includes oral reports by sponsors of the conference, suppliers, and manufacturers of modern equipment for research.

Vladimir Shur will also talk about the opportunities which will open as a result of purchasing the equipment within the framework of the new project of the Russian Ministry of Science and Higher Education aimed at increasing the efficiency of the Ural Federal University Center for Collective Use. The round table will discuss the ways to unite the efforts of Russian scientists to achieve new achievements in the research and application of ferroelectric materials.

This year the world scientific community celebrates the centennial of the first publication on the discovery of ferroelectricity.

The program and abstracts are available on the conference website.