A multiferroic BiMnO3 nanowire array was prepared using a hydrothermal process and its resistive switching memory behaviors were further investigated. The prominent ferroelectricity can be well controlled by white-light illumination, thus offering an excellent light-controlled resistive switching memory device using a Ag/BiMnO3/Ti structure at room temperature.

Optical second harmonic generation (SHG) is used as a noninvasive probe of two-dimensional (2D) ferroelectricity in Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films of copolymer vinylidene fluoride with trifluorethylene. The surface 2D ferroelectric-paraelectric phase transition in the topmost layer of LB films and a thickness independent (almost 2D) transition in the bulk of these films are observed in temperatur...

Characterization methods for bulk non-centrosymmetric compounds are described. These methods include second-harmonic generation, piezoelectricity, pyroelectricity, and ferroelectricity. In this tutorial review with each phenomenon, details are given of the measurement techniques along with a brief history and background. Finally, data interpretation is discussed.

Optical second harmonic generation (SHG) is used as a noninvasive probe of two-dimensional (2D) ferroelectricity in Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films of copolymer vinylidene fluoride with trifluorethylene. The surface 2D ferroelectric-paraelectric phase transition in the topmost layer of LB films and a thickness independent (almost 2D) transition in the bulk of these films are observed in temperatur...

Interfacial phase change memory (iPCM) is magnetic sensitive at room temperature while the alloy with same composition is not. The unique property has been thought to be related to the topological insulating property. We discuss the magnetic properties on the point of view of the spatial inversion symmetry of iPCM structures and ferroelectricity of GeTe layers sandwiched by topological insulati...

A series of mononuclear lanthanide complexes with chiral Schiff base ligands [Ln(FTA)(3)L] [Ln = Dy(1), Sm(2), Eu(3), Gd(4), and Tb(5), L = (S,S)-2,2'-Bis(4-benzyl-2-oxazoline)] were synthesized and characterized. Among these complexes, complex 1 represents the first example of mononuclear lanthanide complexes displaying single-ion magnet behavior and ferroelectricity.

Ferroelectricity has been found to occur in several insulating systems, such as TbMnO3 and Ni3V2O8 which have more than one phase with incommensurately modulated long-range magnetic order. Here we give a phenomenological model which relates the symmetries of the magnetic structure as obtained from neutron diffraction to the development and orientation of a spontaneous ferroelectric moment induc...

Two-dimensional (2D) ferromagnetic and ferroelectric materials attract unprecedented attention due to the spontaneous-symmetry-breaking induced novel properties multifarious potential applications. Here we systematically investigate a large family (148) of 2D MGeX3 (M = metal elements, X O/S/Se/Te) by means high-throughput first-principles calculations, focus on their possible ferroic including...