The influence of electric and magnetic fields on microstructure in multiferroic composite materials – a Phase-Field-Crystal approach
The objective of the present SPP is to develop a unified description of matter transport activated in inorganic solid materials by electric and magnetic fields. One central question of the SPP is therefore: What are the interplays between static electric / magnetic fields as well as (dynamic) electromagnetic fields and defect formation, structure and mobility?
The ability to use external electric and magnetic fields to influence the microstructure inpolycrystalline materials has potential applications in microstructural engineering. To explorethis potential and to understand the complex interactions between electromagneticfields and solid-state matter transport we consider a phase-field-crystal (PFC) model thatcaptures the basic physics of magneto- and electrocrystalline interactions for multiferroiccomposite materials. In the first founding period we have concentrated on two aspects:first the influence of magnetic fields in the PFC model, to understand the basic phenomenaand second a coarse graining of the PFC model towards an amplitude expansion(APFC) model to enable 3D simulations. We will bring both approaches together andadd additional features step by step until we arrive at a multiferroic composite (A)PFCmodel. Together with efficient and scalable numerical algorithms this will allow 2D and3D simulations, which will be used to examine the role of external electric and magneticfields on the evolution of defect structures and grain boundaries, on diffusion time scales.Large scale simulations in 2D and 3D will also allow to obtain statistical data on graingrowth under the influence of external fields and to validate with experimental data, e.g.,thin film iron samples analyzed in other projects of the SPP1959.
Projektlaufzeit: 01/2017 - 12/2022
Drittmittelgeber: DFG