Project description
Developing open-source simulation software for bismuth ferrite nanostructures
Bismuth ferrite (BFO) nanostructures have garnered significant interest because of their remarkable room temperature multiferroic properties and puzzling mesoscale behavior. The EU-funded SCALES project aims to develop and use a tool to solve for the dynamics of the coupled spin and structural order parameters in nanostructured BFO. This will increase insight into and optimise the collective magnetoelectric switching of BFO, a front runner for next-generation electronics applications. Open-source software capable of simulating both the magnetic dipoles and the structural distortions in a single simulation will be useful not only for BFO but also other multiferroic compounds. This work has the potential to bring about advances in academic research and in industrial applications.
Objective
In this research program, I will develop and use a tool solving for the dynamics of the coupled spin and structural (polarization and oxygen octahedral tilts) order parameters in bismuth ferrite nanostructures. The final outcome will be twofold: (1) advancements in the understanding and optimization of the collective magnetoelectric (ME) switching of BFO at the mesoscale. The focus will be on elucidating the influence of domain topology, size, elastic and electrical boundary conditions on the ME coupling (and resulting switching properties useful for an emergent device concept). (2) an open-source computational package to simulate both magnetic dipoles and structural distortions in a single dynamical phase-field simulation, useful for both BFO and also other multiferroic compounds. The developed open-source software Ferret, will be benchmarked against available codes and methods and to demonstrate a rigorous feasibility for use in academic research and industrial applications.
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Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)Coordinator
4362 Esch Sur Alzette
Luxembourg