Layer-wise Growth as a Method to Prepare Novel Polar Oxide Perovskites with Partially Hexagonal-type Stacking of AX3 Layers – PolHexPer

• Applicants: Professor Dr. Oliver Clemens; Professor Dr. Blazej Grabowski; Professor Dr. Guido Schmitz
• Subject Area: Synthesis and Properties of Functional Materials ; Solid State and Surface Chemistry, Material Synthesis
• Term: since 2025
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 571074562

The term “hexagonal perovskite” describes materials with composition ABX3-d, which can be described structurally as an at least partially hexagonal packing of AX3 layers. All known stacking variants have a centrosymmetric aristotype structure. A recent work has shown that certain stacking sequences automatically lead to non-centrosymmetric polar space groups. The possibility to synthesize such POLar HEXagonal PERowskite materials will be investigated within the PolHexPer project using pulsed laser deposition, which facilitates the necessary layer-by-layer epitaxial growth. The chosen approach combines synthetic investigations, electron microscopic characterization and theoretical calculations based on density functional theory, which should lead to the understanding and the development of new class of materials with magnetoelectric properties whose use is important for a wide range of applications, including data storage and sensors.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Co-Investigator: Dr. Nicolas Bonmassar