Piezoelectric nanomaterials (PNs) are attractive for applications including sensing, actuating, energy harvesting, among others in nano-electro-mechanical-systems (NEMS) because of their excellent electromechanical coupling, mechanical and physical properties. However, the properties of PNs do not coincide with their bulk counterparts and depend on the particular size. A large amount of efforts...

Complex-oxide superlattices (SLs) with atomic-scale periodicity have dynamical properties that are distinct from thin films of uniform composition. The origins of these properties are closely related to the dynamics of polarization domains and to field-driven changes in the symmetries resulting from interfacial coupling between different components. These dynamics are apparent at timescales fro...

Biomineralization in general is based on electrostatic interactions and molecular recognition of organic and inorganic phases. These principles of biomineralization have also been utilized and transferred to bio-inspired synthesis of functional materials during the past decades. Proteins involved in both, biomineralization and bio-inspired processes, are often piezoelectric due to their dipolar...