Plenary Speakers

Monday, September 23, 9:00 - 10:00
701A-D

The last Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics, and Frequency Control Joint Symposium was held in 2013 in Prague, Czechia. Since then there has been tremendous progress in many areas of ultrasonics. Several older technologies, such as software beamforming and elastography, have matured to become routine clinical tools. New technologies, such as super-resolution imaging and machine learning, are now mainstream in the ultrasonics research community. Handheld systems have advanced markedly and wearable ones have been developed in the last few years by leveraging new transducer technologies. Finally, therapeutic ultrasound has evolved to address new applications such as neuro-modulation, and high intensity techniques such as histotripsy have been translated to the clinic. Overall, ultrasonics continues to evolve at a very rapid pace.
In this talk, we will review the state of the art in ultrasonics at the time of the last Joint Symposium.
Then, we will explore advances in several areas over the last decade. The talk will conclude by speculating about what will be the major advances in ultrasonics over the next decade.

Tuesday, September 24, 8:30 - 9:15
701A-D

Over the past decade, ferroelectric research has witnessed significant advancements, including theoretical calculations across various scales, material design and fabrication, and emerging applications. 
This talk will review the progress made in bulk ferroelectrics over the last ten years, with a focus on material systems (lead-free, relaxor ferroelectric crystals, and high entropy materials), material fabrication and treatment (low-temperature sintering, AC poling, and additive printing), and emergent applications (conformable and wearable medical sensors, implantable devices, portable devices, and interdisciplinary applications). The talk will conclude with a look at the future direction of ferroelectric research in sustainable development, human health and energy-related fields.

Tuesday, September 24, 9:15 - 10:00
701A-D

Over the last 30 years, the study of ferroelectric oxides has been revolutionized by the implementation of epitaxial-thin-film-based studies that compliment efforts on bulk versions of such materials. This work has driven many advances in the understanding of ferroelectric physics and the realization of novel polar structures and functionalities. New questions have motivated the development of advanced synthesis, characterization, and simulations of epitaxial thin films and, in turn, have provided new insights and applications across the micro-, meso-, and macroscopic length scales. This presentation will trace the evolution of ferroelectric thin-film research from developing understanding of the roles of size and strain on ferroelectrics to using thin-film constraints to create complex hierarchical domain structures, novel polar topologies, and controlled chemical and defect profiles. The extension of epitaxial techniques, coupled with advances in high-throughput simulations, now stands to accelerate the discovery and study of new ferroelectric materials. Coming hand-in-hand with these new materials is new understanding and control of ferroelectric functionalities. Today, researchers are actively working to apply these lessons in a number of
applications, including novel memory and logic architectures, as well as a host of energy conversion devices. This presentation will work to highlight major accomplishments in the field of thin-film ferroelectrics in recent history and, by extension, look towards what comes next for these materials.