S1 – Characterization of Structure-Property Relationships in Functional Ceramics

Probing structure–property relationships in functional ceramics demands an integrated approach that combines complementary experimental probes (e.g., light, X-ray, electron, neutron) with theory and simulation. State-of-the-art scattering, imaging, and/or spectroscopy techniques that address multiple dimensions (2D, 3D, and beyond), are multiscale (both spatially and temporally), and can capture dynamic material structure under external stimuli (e.g., electric and magnetic fields, stress and strain fields), which are necessary to answer many open questions in this field.

This symposium will provide a bridge between the Basic Science and Electronics Divisions of EMA2023. The first half will focus on rapidly developing experimental techniques, big-data analysis, and modeling approaches to answer open structure–property relationship questions in functional ceramic materials. The second half will highlight the use cases of these methods. Materials of interest include, but are not limited to, those used for energy storage, ferroics and multiferroics (ferroelectrics, electrocalorics, magnetoelectrics, relaxors), flexoelectrics, optical, and quantum, among others.

The symposium will expose scientists to new characterization techniques, unfamiliar research questions, and stimulate new ideas and new collaborations. Methods for approaching the challenging material problems spanning functional interfaces, short-range structural orders, and long-range crystallinity will be featured. Contributions integrating novel applications of machine learning and other computational tools (such as molecular dynamics) to predict and interpret scattering (such as Monte Carlo methods) and imaging data also are welcome. Tools to predict and interpret diffraction and microscopy data also are welcome.

Proposed sessions

• Advances in scattering, imaging, and analytical techniques
• Integrating machine learning into the structural measurement workflow
• Advances in connecting local and global structure to properties
• Addressing open questions in functional ceramics

Symposium organizers

• James LeBeau, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA, lebeau@mit.edu
• David W. McComb, Ohio State University, USA, mccomb.29@osu.edu
• Abhijit Pramanick, City University of Hong Kong, apramani@cityu.edu.hk
• Hadas Sternlicht, Brown University, USA, hadas_sternlicht@brown.edu
• Christopher Fancherm, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, USA,  fanchercm@ornl.gov
• Igor Levin, National Institute of Science and Technology, USA, igor.levin@nist.gov