Functional and Smart Materials topics include:

  • Advanced Ceramics: superconductors; superionic conductors; dielectrics including ferroelectrics
  • Ferroic materials, ferromagnetic, ferroelectric and ferroelastic (also known as Shape Memory Alloy, SMA)
  • Advanced Electronic and Optical Materials

Ferromagnetic and Ferroelectric Nano-Materials

Some of our researchers are working on the synthesis of ferromagnetic and ferroelectric nano-materials. If properly mixed with polymers and spun into films, these materials configure themselves automatically into distinct patterns that are potentially useful. The pictures display two patterns that evolve by mixing their components at different ratios. Each has distinct magnetic properties: The system of superparamagnetic nano-cylinders embedded in a paraelectric matrix (left, top image) could improve the capacity and reception of telecommunication circuits, and help create "virtual antennas". The ferromagnetic "nano-onion" (left, bottom image) might help configure new forms of memory. The material can make certain electronic devices faster and easier to manufacture, as well as more reliable because they would require fewer parts. Wuttig and Ren's materials are both more finely tunable than those currently available, and more easily tuned. For more information, see S. Ren, R. M. Briber and M. Wuttig, "Diblock Copolymer Based Self-Assembled Nano-Magneto-Electric," Applied Physics Letters 93, 1 (2008).

Faculty Members:

 

John Cumings

Associate Professor
301-405-0789 | cumings@umd.edu
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Alexander L. Roytburd

Professor
301-405-7298 | roytburd@umd.edu
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Ichiro Takeuchi

Professor
301-405-6809 | takeuchi@umd.edu
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You Zhou

Assistant Professor
301-405-8134 | youzhou@umd.edu
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