Electrical properties of multiferroic material discovered

By Lee Joon-seung
SEOUL, Feb. 20 (Yonhap) -- A team of Korean scientists said Friday it has
discovered electrical properties in a "multiferroic material" that may help
engineers create next-generation memory devices and improved solar power cells.

The paper, published in the latest online edition of the U.S. journal "Science,"
revealed that bismuth ferrite possesses photovoltaic characteristics and the
charge-carrier transport properties of diodes.
Lee Seong-su, a research fellow at the state-run Korea Atomic Energy Research
Institute (KAERI), conducted the work in support of Cheong Sang-wook, a professor
of physics at Rutgers University in New Jersey.
Multiferroics are materials that have coupled electric, magnetic and structural
order parameters, which are being examined in detail by scientists around the
world for advanced development.
Diodes allow electrical currents to flow in one direction, and in semiconductors
can convert alternating currents into direct currents. Such properties permit
effective control of currents, making them ideal for use in power switches.
Photovoltaic cells are receiving attention from researchers because they can be
used to create pollution-free, super-efficient solar power panels.
Existing panels have generally lower power conversion rates that need to be
overcome if solar energy is to become more widely used.
On prospects of using the technology to make futuristic memory devices and solar
cells, Lee said additional research is needed before it can be used in practical,
commercial applications.
yonngong@yna.co.kr
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