This book surveys size- and shape-dependent effects in nanoferroics, the properties of these materials, approaches for describing size-dependent effects and chemical and physico-chemical nanofabrication methods for making nanoferroic materials and composites.

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.

The first book devoted to ferroic materials (ferroelectric, ferroelastic, ferromagnetic and multiferroics) in confined nanoscale structures Strong emphasis on surface effects and their influence on the physical properties Offers broad coverage of all aspects of the physics of nanoferroics from fabrication technologies to experimental results and their theoretical interpretation

Autorentext

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.

Inhalt
From the Contents: Ferroics.- The definition and classification of ferroics.- The main peculiarities of nanoferroics properties.- Physical factors defining the nanoferroics properties.- Theoretical description of primary nanoferroics. Comparison of the theory with experiment.- Surface tension contribution to the properties of nanoferroics.- True nanoferroics with properties absent in the bulk materials.- Synthesis and fabrication of nanoferroics.- Classification of the methods of nanoferroics fabrication.