Advances in Piezoelectric and Multiferroic Materials: Properties, Characterization, and Modeling

Dear Colleagues,

Ferro/piezoelectric and multiferroic materials have garnered significant attention in recent years due to their unique properties and potential applications in various fields. These materials possess remarkable capabilities, such as the ability to exhibit spontaneous electric polarization, mechanical strain, and magnetization, making them highly sought after for a range of technological advancements.

The development and utilization of these materials have witnessed significant progress. Researchers have made substantial efforts to enhance their performance, understand their fundamental properties, and explore novel fabrication techniques. These materials have found applications in diverse areas such as sensors, actuators, energy harvesting, and information storage devices, among others.

Despite the notable progress, the current stage of research on ferro/piezoelectric and multiferroic materials also presents several challenges and open questions. The optimization of their properties, including the improving their ferro/piezoelectric coefficients, magnetoelectric coupling, and stability, remains a critical objective. Moreover, understanding the underlying mechanisms that govern their behavior and the complex interplay between their structure, composition, and functionality is still an active area of investigation.

To address these challenges and foster further advancements in the field, we are pleased to announce this Special Issue, which aims to gather original research articles and reviews focusing on ferro/piezoelectric and multiferroic materials. By providing a platform for the dissemination of cutting-edge research, we aim to stimulate discussions and collaborations among researchers and contribute to the collective knowledge in this area.

We invite submissions that delve into the following two themes to address the aforementioned challenges:

1. The Enhancement of Ferro/piezoelectric and Multiferroic Properties:

• Novel synthesis and fabrication techniques to improve the ferro/piezoelectric and multiferroic properties of these materials.
• Investigation of the structure–property relationships and mechanisms governing their ferro/piezoelectric and multiferroic behavior.
• Strategies for optimizing and tailoring the properties of ferro/piezoelectric and multiferroic materials for specific applications.
• Exploring new practical application scenarios of advanced ferro/piezoelectric and multiferroic materials, such as electromagnetic wave shielding and absorption materials.

2. Advances in Characterization and Modeling:

• The development of advanced characterization techniques to probe the structural, electrical, and magnetic properties of ferro/piezoelectric and multiferroic materials.
• Theoretical modeling and simulation approaches to elucidate the underlying mechanisms and predict the behavior of these materials.
• The integration of experimental and computational methods for a comprehensive understanding of ferro/piezoelectric and multiferroic materials.

Through this Special Issue, we aim to provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of research on ferro/piezoelectric and multiferroic materials, highlight the existing challenges, and propose innovative solutions. We encourage researchers to contribute their original research findings, perspectives, and insights.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Di Lan
Dr. Zhenguo Gao
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Materials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• ferro/piezoelectric materials
• multiferroic materials
• property enhancement
• structure–property relationships
• characterization techniques
• theoretical modeling
• interdisciplinary research