Investigation of the properties of multiferroic crystals at low temperatures: A Visiting Fellowship for Dr. C.V. Tomy

Multiferroics are materials that exhibit both ferromagnetic order as well as ferroelectric order and more intriguingly, a coupling between these two ordered states: the ferromagnetic order can be controlled by an electric field and the ferroelectric order can be controlled by a magnetic field. Research into multiferroics is an emerging and exciting area not just for the new and rich physics that it has thrown up, but also for the potential these materials hold for practical device applications. The Superconductivity and Magnetism group at Warwick is currently working in collaboration with Prof Thomas group in the Department of Physics for research into multiferroics. The multiferroics we wish to investigate (Manganites, low dimensional and frustrated magnets) exhibit both magnetic and ferroelectric ordering at low (Liquid Helium) temperatures. This proposal addresses the need for a low temperature experimental arrangement at Warwick to investigate the dielectric and ferroelectric properties of several multiferroic crystals in order to be able to fully understand the coupling between the magnetic ordering and their ferroelectric properties they exhibit at low temperatures. The proposal requests funds to accommodate the visit of Dr. C.V. Tomy from the I.I.T., Bombay, India, as a Visiting Researcher to Warwick for a period of 12 months. Dr. Tomy is an extremely experienced low temperature physicist whose expertise is ideal for the proposed project. In this 12 month period, we propose to establish a working experimental facility for the investigation of the properties of multiferroics at Warwick as well as to study the multiferroic properties of several new multiferroics.