Physics Colloquia
9 March 2018 - Urs Hafeli (University of British Columbia, Canada)
Place: R10
Time: 14:15
Title: TBA
Previous seminars spring 2018
19 January 2018 - Claudio Bogazzi
Place: R10
Time: 14:15
Title: Open Access Solutions in Physics
Abstract: We live in a digital society and yet it is estimated that about 90% of our science results are locked away behind expensive paywalls, not widely available to the public and researchers. Open Access may be the solution. In my presentation, I will discuss what the alternatives to the standard publishing model are and what solutions are available for physicists. Data and knowledge must be shared as widely and rapidly as possible and Open Science is the best option. I will also show how the transition to Open Science is taken seriously by the European Commission and what steps were taken in 2017 toward this. Frontiers, a community-rooted open-access academic publisher, is leading the cause of Open Science with unique digital tools to its authors and editors, an innovative peer-review forum and an active collaboration with policy makers.
26 January 2018 - Dennis Meier (Department of Materials Science and Engineering, NTNU)
Place: R10
Time: 14:15
Title: Functional domain walls in multiferroic oxides
Abstract: Oxide materials exhibit a broad range of tunable phenomena, including magnetism, multiferroicity, and superconductivity. Oxide interfaces are particularly intriguing. The low local symmetry combined with the sensitivity to electrostatics and strain leads to unusual physical properties beyond the bulk properties. Recently, ferroelectric domain walls have attracted attention as a novel type of oxide interface. These walls are spatially mobile and can be created, moved, and erased on demand. The additional degree of flexibility enables domain walls to take an active role in future devices and hold a great potential as multifunctional 2D systems for nanoelectronics.
In my talk I will discuss unique features that occur at ferroelectric domain walls in multiferroic oxides. In the first part, I will address geometrically driven charged domain walls in hexagonal manganites and show how their local electronic properties can be optimized and controlled. In the second part, I will consider domain walls in spin-spiral multiferroics with strong magnetoelectric couplings and additional functionality that arises from the interplay of charge and spin degrees of freedom. The goal is to provide insight into the exotic and fascinating physics at domain walls in multiferroics and their great application potential for next-generation devices.
