Electroceramics@MIT (Crystal Physics and Electroceramics Laboratory)

While ceramics have traditionally been admired for their mechanical and thermal stability, their unique electrical, optical and magnetic properties have become of increasing importance in many key technologies including communications, energy conversion and storage, electronics and automation. Such materials are now classified under Electroceramics as distinguished from other functional ceramics such as advanced structural ceramics.

Historically, developments in the various subclasses of Electroceramics have paralleled the growth of new technologies. Examples include: Ferroelectrics -- high dielectric capacitors, non-volatile memories; Ferrites-data and information storage; Solid Electrolytes -- energy storage and conversion; Piezoelectrics -- sonar; Semiconducting Oxides -- environmental monitoring.

The performance of electroceramic materials and devices depends on the complex interplay between processing, chemistry, structure at many levels and device physics and so requires a truly interdisciplinary effort by individuals from many fields. Topical areas cover a wide spectrum with recent active areas including sensors and actuators, electronic packaging, photonics, solid state ionics, defect and grain boundary engineering, magnetic recording, nonvolatile ferroelectric memories, wide band gap semiconductors, high Tc superconductors, integrated dielectrics and nano-technology. Recent advances in these areas are described in the Journal of Electroceramics.