Electrons on deck

Materials scientists have been in an age of discovery, as two researchers in IBM Zurich Research Laboratory discovered high-temperature superconductivity in a copper oxide in 1986.1 New materials including superconductors have been synthesized one after another, which have given renewed vigor and enthusiasm to the community. As a current trend, different functions are merged into a single material to generate novel and unique properties. A prime example is multiferroics where magnetism and ferroelectricity mutually influence.2