High pressure synthesis apparatus is proved to be powerful tool, in particular beneficial for the preparation of novel metastable compounds that cannot be achieved from conventional methods. Representative structure frameworks are perovskite related materials, while the close packed systems are especially suitable target for high pressure synthesis techniques.

With utilisation of equipped DIA-type large volume press, it is our permanent quest to design and realise novel functional materials, to investigate the structure-property correlations, to explorer structural and electronic instabilities, and to understand the mechanism of intriguing physical properties including colossal magnetoresistance, negative thermal expansion, hybrid improper ferroelectric, multiferroic behaviors and and so on.

Recently, a novel improper ferroelectricity termed “hybrid improper ferroelectricity” was predicted and has been demonstrated that the group-theory-assisted approaches with symmetry operation analysis provides promising identification of novel ferroelectric and multiferroic candidates and insights into the structure-property relationship. It is aimed to utilise symmetry operation analysis as a screening method to identify symmetry components for material design, and to conduct the high pressure synthesis techniques to realise those metastable phases.

Electronic instability in lattice can cause intersite charge transfer in material, with charge ordering phase transition, charge disproportionation may be exhibited and results in the change in resistibility.

Multiferroics - materials where an electric polarization may be switch by the application of a magnetic field – will undoubtedly be the future generations of solid state storage devices, with much enhanced data capacity and access speeds. There are substantial issues must be overcome before such technology can be realized. The operational temperature, which dictated by magnetic ordering temperature in the material, is one of the bottleneck for the technology. In addition, the strength of the coupling between the electric and magnetic polarizations (the magnetoelectric effect) is another issue to be stressed.