Project description
How material boundary control leads to reconfigurable nanoscale devices
Ferroelectric domain walls are tiny boundaries inside materials that behave differently from the rest of the material. For example, they can move and change shape when exposed to external factors such as electric fields or strain, exhibiting enhanced conductivity or unusual polarisation patterns. However, it is difficult to fully understand and control their motion at such small scales. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the ENFOLD project will leverage the potential of scanning electron microscopy and machine learning techniques to more thoroughly study these walls. The proposed research will enable scientists to design materials and devices that can be reconfigured on demand, opening up exciting possibilities for future technologies.
Objective
Ferroelectric domain walls are dynamic nanoscale interfaces with functional properties distinct from the bulk, offering a potential route to next-generation nanoelectronics and platform for studying exotic topological states. They can be created, moved, and reconfigured by external stimuli including electric fields, strain, and temperature, enabling reversible control of conductivity and other local responses. Recent discoveries have suggested that complex polar topology can emerge dynamically during domain wall motion, with the prospect of realising multiferroicity in non-magnetic systems. Yet, systematic control has been limited by the difficulty of probing and directing these dynamics at the necessary length scales.
ENFOLD aims to exploit the unique capabilities of scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) to systematically control the motion of ferroelectric domain walls and characterise the emergent behavior associated with domain wall dynamics at high spatial resolution. STEM offers multimodal sensitivity to structure, polarisation, strain, and electronic states, and allows in situ application of electric fields to drive domain wall dynamics. By coupling these measurements with advanced machine learning approaches, ENFOLD will overcome bottlenecks in disentangling polar, elastic, and magnetic signatures from complex datasets, and enable closed-loop, systematic control of domain wall motion to tune and optimise functional properties.
By moving beyond static characterisation, conventional analyses, and manual control approaches, ENFOLD will establish a mechanistic nanoscale understanding of how electric fields drive domain wall motion and the emergence of novel embedded phases. This will provide the foundation for the systematic, on-demand design of reconfigurable ferroelectric domain wall devices, addressing a critical gap in the field.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences mathematics pure mathematics topology
- natural sciences physical sciences optics microscopy
- engineering and technology nanotechnology nanoelectronics
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
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Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
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(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF
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SW7 2AZ London
United Kingdom
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