Ferroelectronics Lab

Understanding and utilizing non-volatile properties of materials

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Our Research in the News: Beyond transistor limits: Hybrid magnetic-sound waves could boost computing speed and efficiency

October 20, 2026 By Avery-Ryan Ansbro

The Ferroelectronics Lab finds itself in the news once again thanks to a collaborative project funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), which offers a $6 million budget. In this DARPA “fast and curious” project, we are working together with Dr. Roozbeh Tabrizian, Dr. Wei Lu, both professors here at the University of Michigan, and Dr. Jiamian Hu, a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison to develop a novel magnetoacoustic device. If successful, “new devices made of combined ferroelectric and ferromagnetic materials (magnetoelectric multiferroics) could radically improve the speed and energy efficiency of computer processors and also add memory capability.” In our lab, specifically Pat Kezer and Avery Ansbro are contributing to this project.

See the Michigan Engineering newsletter here to learn more about this project.

Filed Under: Awards Tagged With: Avery Ansbro, device, ferroelectric, John T. Heron, magnetism, news, Pat Kezer

New Publication! “Evidence of Local Structural Variations and Their Influence on Magnetic Properties in Mn- and Cr-Containing High-Entropy Oxide Thin Films Using Electron Microscopy”

June 3, 2026 By Avery-Ryan Ansbro

Abstract: Alloying is an age-old strategy for synthesizing materials with enhanced properties. Recently, multicomponent systems such as high-entropy oxides have garnered widespread attention due to their tunable and often superior properties compared to their constituent oxides. Here, we study the local structural and chemical nuances of six-component (Mg0.167Co0.167Ni0.167Cu0.167Zn0.167Mn0.167)O and (Mg0.167Co0.167Ni0.167Cu0.167Zn0.167Cr0.167)O thin films. The Mn-alloyed thin film exhibits a higher exchange bias and greater magnetic frustration compared with the Cr-containing thin film. Scanning/transmission electron microscopy investigations reveal that the Mn-alloyed thin film exhibits the coexistence of rock salt and spinel-like regions, unlike the single-phase rock salt structure observed in the Cr-alloyed thin film. Electron energy loss spectroscopy indicates changes in Co and Mn valences within the Mn-containing thin film, suggesting the presence of mixed-valence states, which are further confirmed by X-ray absorption spectroscopy measurements. These observations are further validated by cation-site-preference energy calculations using density functional theory. Our results demonstrate how the chemistry, site occupations, and cation valences result in pronounced changes in the overall properties of high-entropy oxides.

Read more at Journal of the American Chemical Society

Filed Under: Publications Tagged With: high entropy, John T. Heron, magnetism, Matt Webb, thin film

New Publication! “Intertwinded Polar, Chiral, and Ferro-Rotational Orders in a Homo-Ferro-Rotational Insulator”

May 12, 2026 By Avery-Ryan Ansbro

Abstract: Intertwined orders refer to strongly coupled and mutually dependent orders that coexist in correlated electron systems, often underpinning key physical properties of the host materials. Among them, polar, chiral, and ferro-rotational orders have been theoretically known to form a closed set of intertwined orders. However, experimental investigation into their mutual coupling and physical consequences has remained elusive. In this work, we employ the polar-chiral insulator Ni3TeO6 as a platform and utilize a multimodal optical approach to directly probe and reveal the intertwining among polarity, chirality, and ferro-rotational order. We demonstrate how their coupling governs the formation of domains and dictates the nature of domain walls. Within the domains, we identify spatial inversion symmetry as the operation connecting two domain states of opposite polarity and chirality, with a homo-ferro-rotational state serving as the prerequisite for these interlocked configurations. At the domain walls, we observe a pronounced enhancement of in-plane polarization accompanied by a suppression of chirality. By combining with Ginzburg-Landau theory within the framework of a preexisting homo-ferro-rotational background, we uncover the emergence of mixed Néel- and Bloch-type domain walls. Our findings highlight the critical role of intertwined orders in defining domain and domain-wall characteristics and open pathways for domain switching and domain-wall control via intertwined order parameters.

Read more at Physical Review X

Filed Under: Publications Tagged With: ferromagnetism, John T. Heron, magnetism, Tony Chiang

New Publication! “Signatures of quantum spin liquid state and unconventional transport in thin film TbInO3”

October 31, 2025 By Avery-Ryan Ansbro

Abstract: Quantum spin liquids, where the frustrated magnetic ground state hosts highly entangled spins resisting long-range order to 0 K, are exotic quantum magnets proximate to unconventional superconductivity and candidate platforms for topological quantum computing. Although several quantum spin liquid material candidates have been identified, thin films crucial for device fabrication and further tuning of properties remain elusive. Recently, hexagonal TbInO3 has emerged as a quantum spin liquid candidate which also hosts improper ferroelectricity and exotic high-temperature carrier transport. Here, we synthesize thin films of TbInO3 and characterize their magnetic and electronic properties. Our films present a highly frustrated magnetic ground state without long-range order to 0.4 K, consistent with bulk crystals. We further reveal a rich ferroelectric domain structure and unconventional non-local transport near room temperature, suggesting hexagonal TbInO3 as a promising candidate for realizing exotic magnetic and transport phenomena in epitaxial heterostructures.

Read more at Nature Communications

Filed Under: Publications Tagged With: ferroelectric, magnetism, quantum, thin film, Tony Chiang

Intel Awards John T. Heron and lab with Outstanding Researcher Award!

July 31, 2025 By Avery-Ryan Ansbro

Once a year, Intel presents an award acknowledging work that makes “a significant impact on future technology” and “celebrates exceptional achievements made through Intel sponcered research.” John T. Heron is among the 10 researchers who have recieved this distinguished award.

“The research team demonstrated ultrafast switching of La-doped BiFeO3 ferroelectric capacitors, developed novel metrologies to measure polarization dynamics at nanoscale, demonstrated modeling frameworks to understand the effect of key physical processes such as domain nucleation, growth, and circuit limits on the switching process, and determined a new regime of energy-delay scaling behavior relevant for computing technologies. Furthermore, the researchers developed novel materials critical for accelerating magneto-electric spin-orbit (MESO) device development to deliver target specifications, such as high entropy perovskite oxides with large spin Hall efficiency and resistivity as well as double perovskite ferromagnet layers epitaxially compatible with La-doped BiFeO3.”

Congratulations to both John and the remainder of the research team who supported this achievement! Read more on Intel’s website if you are interested about this achievement.

Filed Under: Awards Tagged With: award, high entropy, intel, John T. Heron, magnetism, MESO

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News

  • Our Research in the News: Beyond transistor limits: Hybrid magnetic-sound waves could boost computing speed and efficiency October 20, 2026
  • Our Research in the News: New Model Bridges Ferroelectric Physics and Circuit Modeling August 12, 2026
  • New Publication! “Ferroelectric Dynamic-Field-Driven Nucleation and Growth Model for Predictive Materials-To-Circuit Co-Design” June 13, 2026

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About

Our research is at the intersection of multiple disciplines, drawing on principles and methodologies from materials science, chemistry, physics, and electrical engineering. Our mission is to pioneer … Read More

News

Our Research in the News: Beyond transistor limits: Hybrid magnetic-sound waves could boost computing speed and efficiency

October 20, 2026 By Avery-Ryan Ansbro

Our Research in the News: New Model Bridges Ferroelectric Physics and Circuit Modeling

August 12, 2026 By Avery-Ryan Ansbro

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Ferroelectronics Lab
Address: 2030 H.H. Dow

T: (734) 763-6914
E: jtheron@umich.edu
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