Functional Materials

Functional materials form the foundation of our high-tech society and future technologies. Their properties can be tailored by design and manipulated by external stimuli such as temperature, electric fields, and magnetic fields. This applied solid-state physics course systematically addresses the control of properties in key functional material classes. The course should give insight physics phenomena are used in applications and devices.

Specific course topics:

• Relation between properties, structure and crystal symmetry
• Size and boundary effects on properties
• Electronic bands structures and charge transport
• Optical active materials
• Ferroic functional materials
• From phenomena (physics) to practical application

Knowledge.

The candidate should gain knowledge of:

• A broader range of important functional materials.
• Anisotropic material properties and their relation to crystal symmetry.
• Tensor description of materials properties
• Band structure control related to electronic and optical applications.
• Classification and applications of ferroic functional materials

Skills.

The candidate should be able to:

• Calculate material properties using tensor description. This includes properties described by first, second, third and fourth rank tensors.
• Describe electronic properties of materials by using band structure analysis.
• Explain design of common devices such as for example sensors and energy converters.
• Evaluate of novel functional materials and their proposed applications.

Lectures, exercises and a student’s project work/assignment.

The content of this course is identical to FY8912.