Structural and ferroelectric phase transitions
Harrachov, Czech Republic
May 23 – 27, 2022
The idea of regular scientific meetings of physicists involved in studies of ferroelectrics and phase transitions in Poland and Czechoslovakia followed inevitably from the success of first such an event in Błażejewko in 1979. The Seminar was organized in collaborating of the Department of Dielectrics of the Institute of Physics of Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences and the Ferroelectric Lab of the Institute of Molecular Physics of Polish Academy of Sciences. The Seminars are an international forum for presentation of recent results, unconstrained discussions and initiating of joint studies. This conference series results not only in scientific integration but also in close cooperation and friendship. The bianual event usually brings together about 100–120 participants in a proportion: approximately one third from the Czech Republic, one third from Poland and the rest from other countries.
| I. | Błażejewko, Poland | 1979 |
| II. | Mělník, Czechoslovakia | 1980 |
| III. | Kołobrzeg, Poland | 1981 |
| IV. | Piesky, Czechoslovakia | 1982 |
| V. | Kozubnik, Poland | 1983 |
| VI. | Liberec, Czechoslovakia | 1984 |
| VII. | Karpacz, Poland | 1986 |
| VIII. | Senohraby, Czechoslovakia | 1988 |
| IX. | Poznań–Kiekrz, Poland | 1990 |
| X. | Paseky nad Jizerou, Czechoslovakia | 1992 |
| XI. | Paseky nad Jizerou, Czechoslovakia | 1994 |
| XII. | Jurata, Poland | 1996 |
| XIII. | Liblice, Czech Republic | 1998 |
| XIV. | Świnoujście, Poland | 2000 |
| XV. | Nečtiny, Czech Republic | 2002 |
| XVI. | Great Mazurian Lakes, Poland | 2004 |
| XVII. | Znojmo, Czech Republic | 2006 |
| XVIII. | Zakopane, Poland | 2008 |
| XIX. | Telč, Czech Republic | 2010 |
| XX. | Ustroń, Poland | 2012 |
| XXI. | Sezimovo Ústí, Czech Republic | 2014 |
| XXII. | Hucisko, Poland | 2016 |
| XXIII. | Kouty, Czech Republic | 2018 |
The venue of XXIV Czech–Polish seminar was Harrachov, Czech Republic. The Harrachov town and mountain resort is located at the altitude of 665 m in the Giant Mountains range of the Sudetes (Krkonoše), in the valley of the Mumlava river below the Čertova mountain. The town is located directly at the Czech–Polish border. The town consisting of four parts and villages (Harrachov, Mýtiny, Nový Svět and Rýžoviště) has about 1,300 inhabitants.
The first written reference dates back to the 17th century when German settlers founded a village Dörfl. Harrachov has been known for its glass production which dates back to the 14th century. In 1890s, first pair of skis was imported to the country which started the tradition of winter sports in Harrachov. In 1920, first ski jumping hills were built. The first international skiing championship was organised in 1923. Harrachov still remains a popular skiing resort.
The Giant Mountains (Krkonoše in Czech, Karkonosze in Polish, Riesengebirge in German) is a mountain range located in the north of the Czech Republic and the south-west of Poland, part of the Sudetes mountain system (part of the Bohemian Massif). The Czech-Polish border, which divides the historic regions of Bohemia and Silesia, runs along the main ridge. The highest peak Sněžka (1,603 m) is the highest peak in the Czech Republic.
Accommodation was provided in Resort Sklář****, Harrachov 520, 512 46 Czech Republic. The hotel conveniently located close to the town centre offers accommodation in 171 rooms. There is a restaurant and bar, a hotel wellness centre with a heated swimming pool, sauna, steam bath, hot tub and many types of massages available. The resort offers plenty of sport activities. Animated video programs are available for children.
Thematical scope of the XXIV Czech–Polish Seminar included all its traditional subjects:
In order to promote the scientific development of our younger colleagues, the conference was expanded by a series of tutorials. The main part of the tutorials started in the morning on Monday, May 23 at the Institute of Physics in Prague and included lab visits. This arrangement also provided an opportunity to see our beautiful capital the day before. A bus transfer to the conference location was secured.
All students had an opportunity to take part in a Clip Session to promote their poster to demonstrate their ability to introduce their research orally in two minutes to a broad audience and discuss in the follow-up poster session. The best three competitors were awarded. The competition was open for Master and PhD students.
Technical program of the XXIV Czech–Polish Seminar was scheduled from the afternoon on Monday, May 23 till the lunch on Friday, May 27. Wednesday afternoon was reserved for sightseeing tours.
| Monday May 23 | Tuesday May 24 | Wednesday May 25 | Thursday May 26 | Friday May 27 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7:00—9:30 | Breakfast | Breakfast | Breakfast | Breakfast | |
| 8:30—12:30 | Tutorials in Prague (including coffee break & lunch) | Tutorial Coffee break Talks | Tutorials Coffee break Talks | Tutorial Coffee break Talks | Talks Coffee break Talks |
| 12:30—14:30 | Lunch | Lunch | Lunch | Lunch | |
| 14:30—18:00 | Departure from Prague: 15:00 Registration in Harrachov: 15:00—18:30 | Talks Coffee break Talks Student competition | Excursion | Talks Coffee break Talks | Departure from Harrachov: 14:00 Arrival to Prague: (16:30—17:00) |
| 18:00—21:00 | Dinner | Dinner | Dinner | ||
| 20:00—21:30 | Tutorial | Posters | Posters | Conference dinner |
The official language of the conference will be English.
| TUTORIALS in Prague | |
| 8:30—10:00 | P. Kužel Effective medium in composites including plasmonic and Mie resonances |
| 10:15—11:45 | H. Němec Terahertz spectroscopy — methods and applications |
| 11:45—12:45 | Lunch |
| 12:45—14:15 | M. Paściak Correlated disorder in crystalline materials — experimental methods and simulations |
| 15:00 | Bus departure from Prague |
| 15:00—18:30 | Registration in Harrachov |
| 18:00—21:00 | Dinner |
| TUTORIAL | |
| 20:00—21:30 | P. Baláž Introduction to machine learning in solid state physics |
| TUTORIAL | |
| 8:30—9:40 | P. Márton Simulation of ferroelectric domain patterns using phase-field method |
| 9:40—10:10 | Coffee break |
SESSION 1 — PHASE TRANSITIONS (10:15—12:25) | |
| 10:10—10:15 | Opening |
| 10:15—10:50 | J. Íñiguez (invited) Giant voltage amplification from incipient ferroelectric states |
| 10:50—11:10 | E. Buixaderas Disentangling the dielectric anisotropy in strontium barium niobate |
| 11:10—11:30 | M. Guennou Polar phonon modes in ferroelastic BiVO4 |
| 11:30—11:50 | J. Dec Interfacial polarization phenomena in compressed nanowires of SbSI |
| 11:50—12:25 | A. Gągor (invited) Crystal engineering and structure—property relationships in organic—inorganic lead halides |
| 12:30—14:30 | Lunch |
SESSION 2 — THEORY (14:30—16:20) | |
| 14:30—14:50 | M. Paściak New adventures with polar vortices |
| 14:50—15:10 | P. Márton Modeling of a 180° charged domain wall in ferroelectric PbTiO3 |
| 15:10—15:30 | M. A. Pereira Gonçalves Polar skyrmions in BaTiO3 at low temperature |
| 15:30—15:50 | J. Kulda Efficient modeling of single crystal diffuse scattering |
| 15:50—16:20 | Tea time |
SESSION 3 — PHASE TRANSITIONS & COMPETITION (16:35—18:00) | |
| 16:20—16:55 | K. Roleder (invited) The still undiscovered PbZrO3, a difficult nut to crack |
| 16:55—17:15 | K. Tesař Volumetrically incomplete phase transition: example and outlooks |
| 17:15—18:00 | Student competition |
| 18:00—20:00 | Dinner |
| 20:00—21:30 | Poster session I |
| TUTORIALS | |
| 8:30—9:30 | V. Janiš Spin glasses — random magnetic materials with macroscopic order |
| 9:30—10:30 | V. Novotná Liquid crystals — through the history towards ferroelectric nematics |
| 10:30—11:00 | Coffee break |
SESSION 4 – LIQUID CRYSTALS (11:00—11:55) | |
| 11:00—11:35 | M. A. Osipov (invited) Molecular statistical theory of phase transitions and liquid crystal ordering in rod-coil triblock copolymers |
| 11:35—11:55 | M. Mrukiewicz Electrical characterization of the ferronematic phase |
| 12:00—14:00 | Lunch |
| 14:00—18:30 | Excursions |
| 18:00—20:00 | Dinner |
| 20:00—21:30 | Poster session II |
| TUTORIAL | |
| 8:30—9:45 | S. Kamba Static and dynamic magnetoelectric coupling in multiferroics |
| 9:45—10:15 | Coffee break |
SESSION 5 — PHASE TRANSITIONS (10:15—12:25) | |
| 10:15—10:50 | W. Schranz Domain walls in ferroic materials: what can we learn from layer group analysis? |
| 10:50—11:10 | C. Kadlec Unusual features of lattice dynamics in lawsonite related to its phase transitions: a study using broadband dielectric spectroscopy |
| 11:10—11:30 | M. Šimėnas Suppression of phase transitions and glass phase signatures in mixed cation halide perovskites |
| 11:30—11:50 | I. Jankowska-Sumara Composition-driven structural phase transitions in Sn doped antiferroelectric PbHfO3: A review |
| 11:50—12:25 | Š. Svirskas (invited) Dielectric relaxation in BaTiO3 based solid solutions |
| 12:30—14:30 | Lunch |
SESSION 6 — MULTIFERROICS AND MAGNETISM (14:30—15:50) | |
| 14:30—14:50 | J. A. Moreira Strain relaxation dynamics of multiferroic orthorhombic manganites |
| 14:50—15:10 | M. M. Gomes Unravelling the structural phase sequence and origin of its modulation in multiferroic Bi0.7La0.3FeO3 |
| 15:10—15:30 | P. Vilarinho Magnetic anomalies and spin-phonon coupling in RFeO3 |
| 15:30—15:50 | S. Kamba THz-field-induced transient multiferroicity in quantum paraelectric KTaO3 |
| 15:50—16:20 | Tea time |
SESSION 7 — DOMAIN WALLS (16:20—17:55) | |
| 16:20—16:55 | L. Eng (invited) Reconfigurable 2D electron gases in ferroelectric domain walls |
| 16:55—17:15 | P. Bednyakov Formation of ferroelectric charged domain walls in BaTiO3 single crystals |
| 17:15—17:35 | I. Gaponenko Correlative imaging of ferroelectric domain walls |
| 17:35—17:55 | K. Cordero-Edwards Novel functionalities at twin domain crossings |
| 17:55—18:20 | J. Pokorný History of swing music |
| 19:00—23:00 | Conference dinner |
| SESSION 8 – PHASE TRANSITIONS (9:00—10:15) | |
| 9:00—9:35 | J. Petzelt (invited) Unusual dynamics of the ferroelectric transition in K1−xLixTaO3 |
| 9:35—9:55 | P. Ławniczak Non-trivial electric response of low-temperature proton conductors based on imidazolium isomers |
| 9:55—10:15 | C. Milesi-Brault Soft mode and low-frequency lattice dynamics of BaZrO3 single crystals |
| 10:15—10:45 | Coffee break |
SESSION 9 — PHASE TRANSITIONS (10:45—12:05) | |
| 10:45—11:05 | F. Kadlec Dynamics and orientations of water molecules linked to their low-temperature ferroelectric ordering in hydrated beryl |
| 11:05—11:25 | L. Musy Probing the behaviour of surface water and ferroelectric PbTiO3 thin films as a function of relative humidity and temperature |
| 11:25—11:45 | P. Kužel Time-resolved near-field terahertz spectroscopy reveals charge confinement in GaAs nanobars beyond geometry |
| 11:45—12:05 | D. Nuzhnyy Broadband dielectric spectroscopy of conducting core-dielectric shell nanocomposites |
| 12:05—12:30 | Closing |
| 12:30—14:00 | Lunch |
| 14:00 | Bus departure to Prague |
The organizers would like to thank the participants for their contributions and warm atmosphere of the meeting. There were 95 participants from 10 countries at the XXIV Czech–Polish seminar:
Abstract submission has been closed.
Standard facilities will be available for oral presentations:
On the conference laptop, the following presentation file formats are supported:
We strongly recommend to use the conference laptop to prevent time loss due to swapping the equipment. We kindly ask you to provide your presentation file well in advance on a USB flash disk (before your session at the latest). Alternatively, you can use your own computer.
The poster boards are 100 cm wide and 120 cm high. Please do not use self-adhesive tapes or Velcro which will not work. Pins will be available on site.
Master and PhD students can also prepare a two-minute clip talk and take part in the Young Researcher Competition.
For any questions or concerns please feel free to contact us at .
Free time is scheduled on Wednesday, May 25 after lunch. You can plan your own activities, or we can offer you four organized excursions. There will be a limited number of participants for the excursion to the glassworks. Hiking options will be organized on tourist pathways (partially asphalted, partially unpaved surface), comfortable walking shoes are recommended. In principle, options 1 and 2 can be combined.
As part of an excursion to the glassworks, you will first visit their metallurgical production, a historic glass grinding mill, a glass museum, and you can also see the chapel of St. Elizabeth with an altar made of Venetian mirrors and a functional glass bell. Excursion length 1 h, departure from the hotel at 13:45 (short walk about 1.5 km). After the excursion, it is possible to visit the company’s glass shop with the possibility of buying local products and the local brewery restaurant.
Route length: 6 km. Time required: 2—3 hours. The route runs outside the busy city center. Along the way you can't miss one of the natural beauties of Harrachov — Mumlava waterfall where you can refresh in the nearby buffet “Mumlavská bouda” (Mumlava cottage). This part of the route leads on an asphalted surface. The second part continues on an unpaved forest path above the “Zákoutí complex” with a swimming pool, mini golf, tennis and a possibility of small snacks. The road continues along side streets of Harrachov with a beautiful view of the “Čertova hora” (Devil’s Mountain) and the ski jumps.
Route length: approx. 10 km. Time required: 3—4 hours. Slightly difficult route. The surface of the route is mostly formed by an asphalted road, some sections are formed by unpaved forest roads. The route will take you to the middle ski jumps, further along the bridge over the river Mumlava river and continues through the forest to the cableway called “Rýžoviště”. Here begins a quiet part of the road that will take you to the river Mumlava and along the river you will gradually descend to the Mumlava waterfalls. At the end of the trip you will pass tennis courts, a swimming pool area and a moment later you will see beautiful views of “Čertova hora” (Devil’s Mountain) with large ski jumps.
Route length: approx. 15 km. Time required: 4—5 hours. Moderately difficult route. The route is an extended version of the Medium Harrachov hike; it is the same until it reaches the Mumlava River. Here it is possible to turn right and go to the tourist point called “Krakonošova snídaně” (Krakonoš breakfast). Then back along the same path and downstream, you will gradually descend to Mumlava waterfalls. Furthermore, the route is again the same as in the case of the Medium Harrachov hike mentioned above.
The important dates regarding conference organization are as follows:
| Registration form: | February 20, 2022 |
| Abstract submission: | February 20, 2022 |
| Acceptance of contributions: | February 21, 2022 |
| Payment: | February 28, 2022 |
| Conference: | May 23–27, 2022 |
Alexej Bubnov
Marie Janovská
Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences
Na Slovance 2, 182 21 Prague 8, Czech Republic
Tel.: +420 2 6605 2134
e-mail:
website: http://palata.fzu.cz/cpsem/
Jan Pokorný
Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences
Na Slovance 2, 182 21 Prague 8, Czech Republic
Tel.: +420 2 6605 2654
e-mail:
website: http://palata.fzu.cz/cpsem/