Our phenomenological model without adjustable parameters for the size dependence and dimension dependence of melting point depression and enhancement of nanocrystals is introduced. The predictions of our models are consistent with both of experimental results and other thermodynamic models for metallic nanocrystals while the difference between our model and other theoretical considerations in mesoscopic size range is discussed.

Thin films of lanthanum cuprate were grown on SrTiO3 substrates by pulsed laser deposition and made superconducting (Tc ∼ 38 K) through the process of post-deposition fluorination using elemental fluorine. A microstructural analysis showed that the [110] zone of the film grows parallel to the [100] zone of the SrTiO3 substrate, reducing the lattice mismatch from 37.5% to 2.4%. At the film–substrate interface there is an intermediate layer 3–4 nm thick and twin-related grains emanate from this region. Stacking faults are present in the bulk of the film, with misoriented subgrains present at the deposit surface.

To investigate the photovoltaic effect in Sn2P2S6 ferroelectrics, Sn2P2S6 crystal and ceramic sample that had a high relative density of 95% and a grain size of below 1 μm were fabricated. The steady-state photovoltaic currents under infrared light illumination on both Sn2P2S6 crystal and ceramic sample were observed for the first time. The photovoltaic currents ipv on Sn2P2S6 ceramic sample and crystal were 5 and 25 nA/cm, respectively. The difference in the magnitude of the photovoltaic current resulted from the difference in the remanent polarization Pr between the crystal and the ceramic sample. The values of the photovoltaic field Epv determined from I–V curve for Sn2P2S6 ceramic sample and crystal were 0.2 and 6 V/cm, respectively; these values were several orders lower than that observed on the perovskite-type ferroelectric ceramics. The photovoltaic fields observed in this study were discussed with the conductivity of the crystal and the ceramic sample, in consideration of the figure of merit for the photostriction.