Investigation of Multiferroic Glasses Based on the Tungsten-Bronze Structure

• Grant number: 25/05037-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: July 01, 2025
• End date: June 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Physics - Condensed Matter Physics
• Principal Investigator: Michel Venet Zambrano
• Grantee: André Fernandes do Val Guerra
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Exatas e de Tecnologia (CCET). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

In this project, we aim to investigate the possible multiferroic glass behavior in ceramics based on the SrxBa1-xNb2O6 (SBN100x) system, focusing on the SBN50 and SBN60 compositions. These materials exhibit a tungsten-bronze structure and possess relaxor ferroelectric characteristics, mainly due to the presence of incommensurate superstructures, which may also be associated with local nano-deformations, potentially leading to strain glass behavior. The research seeks to deepen the understanding of the relationship between structural disorder and the physical properties of these materials, as well as to explore their potential for innovative technological applications. The ceramic powders will be synthesized using the solid-state reaction method, and conventional sintering will be employed to obtain densified polycrystals. Structural and morphological characterization will be performed through X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy, while electrical, mechanical, and ferroelectric properties will be evaluated as a function of temperature and frequency. The expected results include the identification of typical multiferroic glass behaviors in the studied materials, which may contribute to understanding the mechanisms governing these phenomena, especially since they have never been observed or studied in tungsten-bronze structured materials. This study could enable new technological applications for the investigated materials.