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The superionic phase transition of ${\mathrm{Cu}}_{2-x}\mathrm{Se}$ accompanies drastic changes in transport properties. The Seebeck coefficient increases sharply while the electrical conductivity and thermal diffusivity drops. Such behavior has previously been attributed to critical phenomena under the assumption of a continuous phase transition. However, applying Landau's criteria suggests that the transition should be first order. Using the phase diagram that is consistent with a first order transition, we show that the observed transport properties and heat capacity curves can be accounted for and modeled with good agreement. The apparent critical phenomena is shown to be a result of compositional degree-of-freedom. Understanding of the phase transition allows to explain the enhancement in the thermoelectric figure-of-merit that is accompanied with the transition.

Whilst possessing potential for electrically-controlled magnonic applications, the spin cycloid of bulk BiFeO3 is lost in technologically-relevant thin films. Here, the authors demonstrate the stabilization of a long-range spin cycloid in BiFeO3thin films through careful choice of electrostatic and strain conditions during thin film growth.

The lattice dynamics and thermal transport in Cu2-δSe compounds were investigated via theoretical calculations, neutron measurement, and characterization of thermal properties. The results show that binary ordered Cu2-δSe has an extremely low lattice thermal conductivity at low temperatures. The low energy multi-Einstein optic modes are the dominant approach obtaining such an extremely low lattice thermal conductivity. It is indicated that the damped vibrations of copper ions could contribute to the low energy multi-Einstein optic modes, especially for those low energy branches at 2–4 meV.