Dr Subhajit Pal
MSc, PhD, MInstP

Research Overview

Interests

Research activity:

• Ferroelectric materials generally break inversion symmetry and process the switchable polarization response under an electric field. The breaking of inversion symmetry in the system aids to separate the e-h pairs under light illumination conditions and gives rise to the bulk PV effect. Then, we ask the question, is an in-build electric field only the essential criterion to obtain a good PV response? The answer is "No", we also need a good photo-absorber for a relatively good PV response. Unfortunately, most ferroelectric materials are incapable to absorb the maximum percentage of the solar spectrum. In this regard, we are combining the ferroelectric materials with conventional photo-absorber to enhance the PV response in the system.          
• Recently, contrcentrosymmetric Gd doped CeO2 exhibited to show Giant electromechanical (EM) response, which is found to be nearly 500 times larger than the ferroelectric PZT (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adma.201202270). Importantly, the mechanism of such EM response is governed by the defects. In this context, we are exploring a plethora of defective oxides, and understanding the guidelines to create materials with large electrostrictive and electrooptic coefficients (doped Ceria, defective barium titanate etc).