Course Description

Ceramic materials play a crucial role in various industrial applications from structural ceramics to functional materials such as ferroelectrics, energy storage, and conversion. Functionalities of these materials are almost invariably determined by microstructure, including grain boundaries, topological defects, individual grains, dislocations, and point defects. Understanding these features at the nanoscale is essential for understanding fundamental mechanisms behind materials functionality and hence optimizing their performance.

Scanning Probe Microscopy is a unique and powerful tool capable of exploring materials' structure and functionality from nanometer to macroscopic scales. These techniques allows detailed probing of electronic and ionic transport, ferroelectric polarization dynamics, and electrochemical properties of materials. However, the simplicity of principle is belied by the broad variety of signal formation mechanisms and need for quantitative interpretation of large-dimensional data sets. This course is designed for students, researchers, and industry practitioners who aim to leverage SPM for advanced materials characterization and enhance their data analysis skills through machine learning.