Smart Materials Laboratory

Department of Physics & Material Science, 

Thapar Institute of Engineering & Technology Patiala

Smart Materials Lab research group specializes in the development of smart materials, focusing on the engineering of smart materials—including multiferroics, polymers, ceramics, and nanocomposites—for advanced device applications. We engineer ferroelectric and magnetoelectric materials that respond to external stimuli, enabling innovations in dielectric capacitors, Piezoelectric & magnetoelectric sensors, and energy-efficient devices. 

Our work with polymer-ceramic nanocomposites, such as PVDF and its copolymers -based systems with aligned nanofillers (dielectric & insulators), has led to significant enhancements in dielectric and energy storage properties which is crucial for high-performance capacitors and flexible electronics.

The work encompasses the synthesis and characterization of materials exhibiting dielectric, ferroelectric, piezoelectric, and magnetoelectric properties, as well as the design of polymer-ceramic nanocomposites for enhanced dielectric and energy storage performance. By integrating advanced processing techniques (Electrospinning) and theoretical modeling (COMSOL, DFT etc.), the group aims to tailor material properties for specific applications, contributing to advancements in multifunctional materials and devices.

Additionally, we've developed electrocaloric nanocomposites exhibiting pyroelectric & electrocaloric effects, offering promising alternatives for temperature sensing and solid-state cooling technologies. Our research group is at the forefront of magnetoelectric materials engineering by integrating magnetostrictive and piezoelectric phases, paving the way for advancements in sensing, communications system, energy harvesting, biomedical devices, and effectively powering wireless IoT.