Ferroelectric Oxides for Sustainable Nanotechnology

Speaker: Prof. Dennis Meier, Functional Ferroic Systems, University of Duisburg-Essen

Host: Prof. Christof Schulz

Abstract

Ferroelectrics can both generate and respond to electronic signals, enabling a wide range of applications—from sensors and energy harvesters to frequency filters and medical diagnostics. More recently, they have gained attention as template materials for next‑generation nanotechnology. The emerging vision is to exploit intrinsic defects of different dimensionalities to locally tune material properties, emulate electronic components, and ultimately build nanoscale networks and circuitry.

In my talk, I  will introduce three strategies for controlling electronic conductivity in ferroelectrics with nanoscale precision by harnessing point defects (0D), line defects (1D), and domain walls (2D).

Our work focuses on uniaxial improper ferroelectrics from the hexagonal manganite family. Beyond their functional domain walls, these materials offer exceptional chemical flexibility and a relatively open crystal structure, providing multiple pathways to engineer local electronic behavior. 

Using intrinsic defects as functional elements offers a compelling alternative to conventional doping: it avoids introducing foreign atoms, reduces chemical complexity, and enables reversible functionalization. This opens the door to reconfigurable materials, minimal‑waste device concepts, and new opportunities for sustainable nanoelectronics. 

Dennis Meier^1,2,3

¹Research Center Future Energy Materials and Systems, Research Alliance Ruhr, Bochum, Germany

²Faculty of Physics and Center for Nanointegration Duisburg-Essen (CENIDE), University of Duisburg-Essen, Duisburg, Germany

³Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway