HUST Scientist Publish Ferroelectric Materials Breakthrough in Nano Letters 

At the end of April 2025, Assoc. Prof. Le Van Lich and colleagues from the School of Materials Science and Engineering, Hanoi University of Science and Technology (HUST) published a significant research paper on ferroelectric materials in Nano Letters, a peer-reviewed journal in materials science and physics. The study was completed entirely with the resources and expertise available at HUST, showcasing the university’s growing research capacity and independence.

The research team, led by Assoc. Prof. Le Van Lich, included Dang Thi Ha, Assoc. Prof. Dang Thi Hong Hue, Vu Ba Hieu, Assoc. Prof. Dinh Van Hai, and Prof. Nguyen Trong Giang.

Reflecting on the journey, Assoc. Prof. Lich shared that the team faced moments of doubt whether to continue exploring a niche path or shift to more popular scientific trends. However, their scientific intuition and strong belief in the potential of the research material became the driving force behind their commitment and kept them going.

To learn more about the journey behind the research, we had an interview with Assoc. Prof. Le Van Lich.

Q: Could you share how the research idea came about?  

“After the 2016 Nobel Prize in Physics recognized discoveries in topological phases of matter, global interest in topological structures surged. We saw great potential in applying similar ideas to ferroelectric materials, which hadn’t been explored deeply due to physical complexities.

A 2020 Nature Materials study (19, 881-886) showed the formation of Meron-type electric polarization structures in thin films, but they appeared randomly, with no reliable control. From there, we asked two key questions: How can we localize Merons? And how can we control them effectively?

We hypothesized that graded ferroelectric materials, whose composition varies across the film thickness, might offer a solution. That became the starting point of our research.”
 

Q: For your research team, what was the journey like from idea to implementation?
 
“The journey was long and demanding. When I joined HUST in 2017, I had to establish an independent research direction, separate from my earlier work in Kyoto. I was intrigued by a 2016 Nature Materials study on graded ferroelectrics (15, 549-556) and started developing numerical simulations to explore the physical mechanisms involved.

It took over a year to build and refine the simulation models. The first results weren’t headline-grabbing, but they provided critical insight. That foundational work eventually led to this publication.”

Q: For readers outside the field, what’s the practical significance of this research?

“Ferroelectric materials are used in a wide range of technologies: from electric lighters and pressure sensors to camera components and computer memory. Their core feature is spontaneous electric polarization, which can be switched by external electric fields.

Under certain conditions, this polarization forms complex patterns, like Merons, that have high stability and information storage potential. Being able to stabilize and control these structures could lead to breakthroughs in data storage and next-generation electronic devices.”
 

Q: Your study was carried out relying entirely on the resources at HUST. What does that say about the university’s research environment? 

“It’s a strong testament to the strategic efforts HUST has made in recent years. The university has prioritized scientific research and supported faculty to focus on impactful, competitive work.

What’s notable here is that we completed everything—from theory to simulation—using only HUST’s internal capabilities. That reflects not just autonomy but also growing maturity in our research culture.”

Q: What’s next for you and the team? 

“We’re already working on follow-up studies to build on this direction. We aim to clarify the underlying physics further and explore potential applications in advanced functional materials.”

Thank you for the insights!
 

A THOUGHT THAT NEVER CROSSED OUR MINDS: HOW ABOUT AN EASIER PATH? "Like many researchers worldwide, we’ve felt the growing pressure to publish. There were moments when that pressure weighed on us, too. But with this project, we had the time and focus needed to refine the study to the highest possible standard. That’s why we committed to seeing it through and chose to publish in a top-tier journal like Nano Letters, rather than opting for an easier route."   Assoc. Prof. Le Van Lich, School of Materials Science and Engineering, HUST