Avadh Saxena

Recent progress in the thermodynamics of ferrotoroidic materials

Recent theoretical and experimental progress on the study of ferrotoroidic materials is reviewed. The basic field equations are first described and then the expressions for magnetic toroidal moment and toroidization are derived. Relevant materials and experimental observation of magnetic toroidal moment and toroidal domains are summarized next. The thermodynamics of such magnetic materials is discussed in detail with examples of ferrorotoidic phase transition studied using Landau modelling. Specifically, an example of application of Landau modelling to the study of toroidocaloric effect is also provided. Recent results of polar nanostructures with electrical toroidal moment are finally reviewed.

Mesoscopic Phenomena in Multifunctional Materials

Multiferroics and multifunctionality: general aspects.- Electronic structure of multifunctional materials.- Thermodynamics of multiferroic-multifunctional materials.- Multifunctional nanoscale materials.- Multifunctional effects at interfaces.- Nanoscale phase transitions in multifunctional materials.- Room temperature multiferroics.- Spiral domains in multiferroics.- Morphotropic boundaries, domains and vortices in multiferroics.- Characterization of multifunctional thin films.- Modeling of the magneto-structural interplay.- Multifuctionality in glassy systems.- Multiscale numerical simulations.- High resolution imaging techniques.- Techniques for observing multifunctional domain walls.- Device applications of multifunctional materials.