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ePaper created 2013-02-01, 09:35:07 | version 1.24.0
Research in Jülich 3|201222 Electronic Treasures S cientists from Forschungszentrum Jülich and RWTH Aachen Universi- ty certainly enjoy being able to work with rare jewels from time to time and not just mundane everyday tasks. They are particularly interested in the crystals presented on these pages due to their inner beauty. Some of them ex- hibit extraordinary electronic effects, such as memristive behaviour, multifer- roicity or exotic magnetic orders. If re- searchers could find out how to control these phenomena more effectively, this could mean ground-breaking progress for the next generations of computers and facilities for storing or converting re- newable energy, such as batteries and fuel cells. Some of the materials studied have been used commercially for many years. Lithium niobate (LiNbO3), for example, is often used in mobile communications technology. Others are candidates for novel, non-volatile data storage, or for highly sensitive sensors, such as the multiferroic material LiFeSi2O6. It simul- taneously displays magnetism and elec- tricity, the latter being partially coupled to the former. Researchers in the FIT section of the Jülich Aachen Research Alliance study the mechanisms behind these special electronic properties using ultrahigh- resolution electron microscopy and oth- er methods. Memristive cells based on SrTiO3 change their electrical resistance depending on the amount of electric cur- rent that has already flowed through Colquiriite (LiCaAIF6) Applications: laser crystals, radiation detectors (scintillation counters) Special property: emits light when excited Production: Czochralski process – pulled out of a melt Strontium titanate (SrTiO3) Applications: processors, data storage, fuel cells Special property: memristor – electric resistance depends on the flow of cur- rent Production: optical floating zone growth The electron micrograph (bottom left corner of photograph) shows a defect in the regular crystal structure of strontri- um titanate (SrTiO3) that determines its electronic properties. them. These cells are regarded as a pos- sible alternative to conventional transis- tors – they are faster, smaller, and much more energy-efficient. Moreover, they are able to process intermediate states in addition to “one” and “zero”. They are thus perfectly suited for building compo- nents which are able to learn, similar to biological synapses. ::