Introduction to Ferroic Materials

Presenting a unified description at an introductory level of ferroic materials, the unifying factor of this book is the occurrence of nondisruptive phase transitions in crystals that alter point-group symmetry.
Presenting a unified description at an introductory level of ferroic materials, the unifying factor of this book is the occurrence of nondisruptive phase transitions in crystals that alter point-group symmetry. The book also aims at further systematizing the subject of ferroic materials, employing some formal, carefully worded, definitions and classification schemes. Ferroic materials are important, not only because of the improved understanding of condensed matter, but also because of their present and potential device applications. The basic physical principles leading to the wide ranging applications of ferroic materials, laying extra emphasis on the utilitarian role of symmetry in material science are also explained. A student trying to grasp the essentials of the field of ferroic materials has to come to terms with a large amount of jargon, covering a diverse range of topics.