Speaker: Prof. Nazanin Bassiri
Assistant Professor
School of Mechanical Engineering
Georgia Institute of Technology
Title: Ferroelectric Thin Films and Nano-Structures: Current Status and Future Challenges
Time: Monday, March 16th, 1:00-2:00pm
Department of Mechanical Engineering
University of Tehran, Tehran
Ferroelectric materials find a wide range of applications, including in bulk form for
under-water sonar, medical ultrasounds and optical modulators. In thin films they are used in
capacitive elements, non-volatile memories, pyroelectric sensors, and as sensors and actuators in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). Additionally, their superb piezoelectric response and
very high energy densities make them exceptional candidates for active devices at the nanoscale.
This talk discusses some of these applications, including very-high resolution medical ultrasounds, energy harvesters and nano-manipulators, while underlining the challenges for the
future integration of ferroelectrics in micro- and nano-scale devices, including specific needs for
manufacturing, and prediction and control of the processed structure’s behavior. In particular,
new opportunities in direct manufacturing of patterned, micro- and nano-meter sized structures by soft-template growth and nano-imprint will be addressed. The nonlinear dielectric and
piezoelectric response of ferroelectric materials will be also discussed in terms of the fundamental science of extrinsic contributions from domain wall and phase boundary vibration and motion, in addition to modeling of these nonlinearities through a Rayleigh-like behavior.
