Ferroelectrics at the Nanoscale: A First Principle Approach

The field of ferroelectric materials is driven by its possible use in various micro-electronic devices that take advantage of their multifunctional properties. The existence of a switchable spontaneous polarization (see Figure 1) is at the basis of the design of non volatile ferroelectric random access memories (FERAMs), where one bit of information can be stored by assigning one value of the Boolean algebra ("1" or "0") to each of the polarization states. Also, the high dielectric permitivity of ferroelectrics makes them possible candidates to replace silica as the gate dielectric in metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs). Their piezoelectric behavior enables them to convert mechanical energy in electrical energy and vice versa. Their pyroelectric properties are the basis for highly sensitive infrared room temperature detectors.