Article 21 – Interfacial effects on breakdown strength and electrocaloric response in Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3–BaTiO3/AlN ceramic composites
Abstract: Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3–BaTiO3 (NBT–BT) ceramics are promising lead-free candidates for energy storage and electrocaloric applications, but their performance is limited by dielectric breakdown strength and thermal stability. In this work, NBT–BT/AlN composites were designed to investigate how electrically insulating, thermally conductive nitride inclusions influence interfacial structure and functional response without altering the intrinsic ferroelectric framework. Structural […]
Article 20 – Recent Progress in Core–Shell Magnetoelectric Nanomaterials: Synthesis, Interface Engineering, and Applications
Abstract: Magnetoelectric (ME) materials couple magnetic and electric polarization, enabling wireless signal transfer and actuation beyond conventional wired systems. Core–shell magnetoelectric nanoparticles (MENPs) that combine magnetostrictive and piezoelectric materials exhibit enhanced magnetoelectric coupling through efficient interfacial strain transfer and reciprocal magnetic–electric interactions. Their large interface area provides superior performance compared with bulk multiferroics and enables […]
Article 19 – Manipulation and relaxation of domain-wall topologies in uniaxial triple-well ferroelectrics
Abstract: Domain-wall nanoelectronics requires control not only over wall creation but also over the field-off evolution of written configurations. Here, crystallographic anisotropy is used to achieve reversible domain-wall programming in the uniaxial triple-well ferroelectric Sn2P2S6. Single-crystal orientation, macroscopic polarisation, electrostrain, and piezoelectric measurements identify a low-E·Ps geometry in which bulk field-polarisation coupling is strongly reduced relative […]
Article 18 – Spontaneously Piezo- and Pyroelectric Polyacrylonitrile Brushes Prepared via Surface-Initiated Polymerization
Abstract: Surface-initiated polymerizations generate thin films (“brushes”) consisting of polymer chains that are anchored with one chain end to a solid surface. As they are conducted from initiator-modified solid substrates, these polymerizations allow for unidirectional chain growth and enforce a stretched chain conformation. Using acrylonitrile as an example of a monomer with a dipolar side-chain […]
Article 17 – Interfacially coupled Bi2WO6@WS2-PVDF based film for sonophotocatalytic trimethoprim removal: From material engineering to surface- and groundwater applications
Abstract: Pharmaceutical contaminants in water represent a growing environmental concern due to their persistence and potential ecotoxicity. In this study, a hybrid Bi2WO6@WS2-PVDF-HFP (Poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) film was developed and evaluated as a sonophotocatalytic platform for the efficient degradation of trimethoprim (TMP) in both model and real water matrices. Comprehensive structural, optical, and electrochemical characterization confirmed […]
Article 16 – Electrostriction-driven phase instability enables giant pseudo-piezoelectricity in Hf0.5Zr0.5O2X
Abstract: The electromechanical properties of hafnium zirconium oxide fluorite (Hf0.5Zr0.5O2, HZO) remain largely unexplored despite its widespread use as a ferroelectric in CMOS-compatible devices. Here, we demonstrate that electrostriction-driven phase instability enables a giant pseudo-piezoelectric response in epitaxial HZO thin films. Above a critical field of 24 kilovolts per centimeter, field-induced transitions between nonpolar and polar […]
Article 15 – Photo-pyroelectric Effect in Piezoelectric Polymer Composites: An Innovative Pathway for Advanced Technologies
Abstract: The development of smart materials that can react to external stimuli and provide controlled and frequently reversible responses is facilitated by the coupling of physical effects. In this work, a photo-pyroelectric effect based on a piezoelectric polyvinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene (P(VDF-TrFE)) polymer composite with fullerene C60 incorporated at different concentrations (1, 3, 5, 10 and 20% wt.) […]
Eastern Europe Ferroelectric Symposium (EEFS), an outreach IEEE conference organized by the Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Latvia, on June 1-4, 2026
Eastern Europe Ferroelectric Symposium (EEFS), an outreach IEEE conference organized by the Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Latvia, to be held on June 1-4, 2026. Welcome to the Eastern Europe Ferroelectric Symposium (EEFS 2026). We are delighted to bring together researchers, engineers, students, and industry partners from around the world to exchange ideas […]
The workshop “Advanced electrical characterization with state-of-the-art lock-in amplifier”,University of Aveiro in Portugal on March 26th, 2026
The workshop, titled “Advanced electrical characterization with state-of-the-art lock-in amplifier,” will take place at the University of Aveiro in Portugal on March 26th, 2026. This seminar introduces advanced electrical characterization techniques using state-of-the-art lock-in amplifiers. Participants will learn how modern signal-recovery methods enable precise measurements even in extremely noisy environments. The session will cover key […]
Article 14 – Magnetic properties and charge transport mechanisms in oxygen-deficient HfxZr1-xO2-y nanoparticles
Abstract: Study of nanoscale hafnia-zirconia physical properties is the key topic in fundamental and applied science. However, charge transport mechanisms and magnetic properties of HfxZr1-xO2 nanoparticles are very poorly studied both theoretically and experimentally. In this work we observed a superparamagnetic-like and superparaelectric-like response of ultra-small HfxZr1-xO2-y nanoparticles prepared by the solid-state organonitrate synthesis. The EPR spectra […]
