SPICE Workshop on Ferrons and Magnons: friends or foes? July 7th - 9th, 2026
Dennis Meier
Ferroic materials with spontaneous magnetic or electric long-range order are a rich source for exciting new physics and functional properties for future technologies. Examples range from solid-state refrigeration to nanoelectronics and unconventional computing. The functionality of ferroic materials is closely linked to their domain structure and the domains and domain walls respond to external stimuli.
This tutorial introduces the fundamental principles underlying the domain formation in ferroic systems. Going beyond classical ferromagnetism and ferroelectricity, I will highlight recent developments in the field and the increasing interest in more exotic types of long-range order, including hyper-, anti-, and improper ferroics. Although these systems have been known for decades, experimental access to many of their unconventional properties has only recently become possible. Indeed, it is increasingly clear that we are just beginning to uncover the diverse nanoscale physics of ferroics and the remarkable application opportunities that lie ahead.