Research Projects

Multiferroic materials with magnetoelectric (ME) coupling are promising for data-storage technology, such as multi-state memory and memory devices with less energy dissipation. The challenge is to enhance the multiferroic ordering temperature and magnetoelectric coupling strength in a single-phase material. Magnetoelectric investigations are currently limited to 3d-transition metal oxides, which exhibit low-temperature multiferroic ordering. This project aims to design specific ME systems introducing 4d/5d transition metal (TM) ions and 4f rear-earth (R)-ions, which are strongly coupled to each other. The strong spin-orbit coupling and extended nature of the 4d-orbital of TM-ion will enhance multiferroic ordering towards room temperature and ME coupling strength. The ME coupling strength can be tuned via 4d/5d (TM)-4f(R) coupling by tuning the 4d-metals and R-ions. The compounds will be synthesized using solid-state reactions and flux-growth methods, and characterized using X-ray diffraction, magnetic, dielectric, and pyroelectric measurements. The project will identify routes towards enhancing multiferroic ordering temperatures and ME coupling strength, pave the way for future technological applications and contribute to our understanding of spins and dipolar degrees of freedom. The results will be published in high-impact journals, making an immediate impact in the research community.