中文摘要：

多铁性研究可上溯至1950年代，作为凝聚态与材料物理的一个研究方向也算历史悠久；但大规模研究则主要受2003年两项里程碑性成果驱动，距今正好十年。所谓“十年树木”，古训赋予我们回眸十年多铁研究的一个理由。这两项成果之一是BiFeO3外延薄膜制备及磁电耦合观测，主要贡献在于将互兀交叠的磁电耦合唯象理论与多铁性微观物理框架通过铁性畴层次有机结合，触发多铁性薄膜与异质结的广泛研究。另一项成果是发现TbMnO3中巨大的磁电耦合效应，开启探索一大类具有崭新物理内涵的多铁性物质之路。耐多铁性薄膜异质结的研究深入细致，体现了层层盘剥、细嚼慢咽的风格。而单相多铁性的探索则百花齐放、只争朝夕。前者如能工巧匠，其足迹是精湛研究技术方法与物理理论相结合的图画。后者如春潮奔腾，所到之处气象万千，其大观是科学发现与新材料探索的范例。文章基于粗略框架，对多铁性研究十年图景粗作描绘。有关多铁性各方面的详细论述则见诸本专题之隽文秀语。多铁性研究经历分而春秋的黄金十年，正出现久分必合的迹象，令人不忍释手。

英文摘要：

Multiferroicity as one of favorable topics in condensed matters and materials physics has been receiving attentions since 1950s. Intensive research activities, however, were re- vived by two milestones as accomplished in 2003, sustaining for more than ten years. One of the milestones is the preparation of epitaxial BiFeO3 thin films and demonstration of the magnetoelec- tric effect. The physics at the multiferroic domain level is believed to fill the gap between the phe- nomenological theories and microscopic mechanisms. The other goes to the colossal magnetoelec- tric effect in manganite TbMnO3, which has paved a roadmap towards a class of multiferroic com- pounds with substantial significance of physics. Unveiling every particular features the explora- tions on multiferroic thin films and heterostructures, while those discoveries associated with multi- ferroic compounds evidence a model scenario of touching those hidden physics and enhanced prop- erties. A substantial review of the state-of-arts and future perspectives benefits not only to the commu- nity ofmultiferroic researches. In this article, as an introduction of this special section on multiferroic- ity, we present a brief review of those icebergs and beyond coordinating the multiferroic researches in the past decade. It is our expectation that the golden decade is a long period of division and multifcr- roicity will be eventually a unique story with impacting, and surely, self-consistent physics.