Multiferroic Materials

INTRODUCTION FERROELECTRICS: Discussion of the Basic Properties of Ferroelectric Materials, Established Mechanisms such as Soft Mode and Order-Disorder Transitions, Experimental Overview FERROMAGNETS AND ANTIFERROMAGNETS: Similar as Chapter 2, but for Ferro- and Antiferromagnetic Systems MAGNETOELECTRIC MULTIFERROICS: Definition of Magnetoelectric Multiferroics, Overview of Macroscopic Properties, Classes of Multiferroic Materials, New Ferroic Orders, etc. PHENOMENOLOGY OF THE MAGNETOELECTRIC COUPLING: Symmetry Considerations, Landau Theory, etc. MICROSCOPIC THEORIES OF MAGNETOELECTRIC COUPLING: Direct Coupling Theories, Fermionic Strong Correlation Effects, Coupling Trough a Third Excitation, etc MAGNETIC AND DIELECTRIC PROPERTIES OF MULTIFERROICS: Dielectric Constant, Magnetization, Specific Heat, Transport and Polarization, Thermoexpansion, Structure, Thermodynamic Properties. MULTIFERROICS AND THE LATTICE: Role of the Lattice in Magneto-Electric Coupling; the Role of Ferroelasticity; Primary Order Parameters, etc. ELECTROMAGNONS: Definitions; Single Excitation or Hybrid Mode; Selection Rules; Microscopic Models; Electromagnon as a Consequence of Multiferroicity, Electromangnons as an Exchange Particle for Magnetoelectric Coupling, Possible Electromagnons in Materials which are Not Multiferroics. SPINTRONICS APPLICATIONS 12. FUTURE TRENDS APPENDICES ON EXPERIMENTAL TECHNIQUES (Sum Rule, Selection Rules, Response Time, Scale Probed by the Techniques)