Nanoferroics: State-of-art, gradient-driven couplings and advanced applications (Author’s review)

Ferroics and multiferroics are unique objects for fundamental physical research of complex nonlinear processes and phenomena that occur in them within micro- or nanoscale. Due to the possibility of their physical properties control by size effects, nanostructured and nanosized ferroics are among the most promising for advanced applications in nanoelectronics, nanoelectromechanics, optoelectronics, nonlinear optics and information technologies. The review shows that the thickness of the strained films, the size and shape of the ferroic and multiferroic nanoparticles are unique tools for controlling their phase diagrams, long-range order parameters, magnitude of susceptibility, magnetoelectric coupling and domain structure characteristics at a fixed temperature. Significant influence of the flexochemical effect on the phase transition temperature, polar and dielectric properties of nanoparticles is revealed for thin films and nanoparticles. The obtained results are important for understanding the nonlinear physical processes in nanoferroics as well as for the advanced applications in nanoelectronics.