This project is integrates educational objectives with research in developing two major criteria to predict ferroelectricity in polar crystals. Differential scanning calorimetry and differential thermal analysis are used to determine the presence of the predicted phase transitions in new ferroelectric materials, followed by the measurements of the melting point, decomposition temperature, and the nonlinear dielectric susceptibilities of the new materials. Presently, 300 pure materials are known that exhibit ferroelectricity. This project focuses on 15 new potential ferroelectrics that have not been fully characterized. %%% Technological demand is strong for new ferroelectrics with superior figures of merit that can be used in a wide range of devices including piezoelectric transducers and actuators, pyroelectric sensors, high-permittivity dielectrics, electrooptic and nonlinear optic devices, nonvolatile dynamic random access memories, and positive temperature-coefficient-of-resistivity devices. The integration of education with research in this project will introduce undergraduate students to many chemical and physical processes important in the evaluation of ferroelectrics for various applications. This type of expertise will make these students very competitive in the job market.
