Ferroics

Ferroika ( from Latin: ferrum = iron) is the generic term for all materials with a spontaneous long-range order. The group of ferroic ordering phenomena including ferromagnetism, ferroelectricity, ferro- elasticity and ferrotoroidicity.

If, as a matter of two or more ferroic ordering phenomena simultaneously, it is called by Ferroika higher order or multiferroics. Ferroika are therefore of order one, there are two orders is a second-order Ferroikum ago.

The term Ferroika 1970 was introduced by the Japanese physicist K. Aizu. The aim was a systematic description and classification of ferromagnetic, ferroelectric and ferroelastic materials which primarily based on symmetry arguments. In recent times, then joined the ferrotoroidicity added as a fourth ferroic order.

• Materials Science