Direct imaging of both ferroelectric and antiferromagnetic domains in multiferroic BiFeO{sub 3} single crystal using x-ray photoemission electron microscopy

Journal Article · Mon Jan 23 04:00:00 EST 2012 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3679101· OSTI ID:22025417

Moubah, R; Colson, D; Viret, M ^[1]; Elzo, M ^[2]; El Moussaoui, S ^[3]; Jaouen, N; Belkhou, R ^[2]

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1. Service de Physique de l'Etat Condense, URA CNRS 2464, CEA Saclay, 91191, Gif-sur-Yvette (France)
2. Synchrotron Soleil, Saint-Aubin, 91192, Gif-sur-Yvette BP 48 (France)
3. Paul Scherrer Institut, Swiss Light Source, Villigen, CH-5232 (Switzerland)

In this work, we propose to study the magnetic and ferroelectric configurations in ferroelectric multidomain BiFeO{sub 3} single crystals. Using x-ray (magnetic) linear dichroism in a photoemission electron microscope (X-PEEM), we are able to directly image both the antiferromagnetic and ferroelectric domains. We find that inside one single ferroelectric domain several antiferromagnetic domains coexist. This is different from what was observed on epitaxial thin films, where the ferroelectric domains perfectly match the antiferromagnetic ones, but also from previous neutron measurements on ferroelectric monodomain single-crystals for which one single antiferromagnetic domain was identified. This underlines the fundamental differences between thin films, bulk samples, and single versus ferroelectric multidomain samples.

• OSTI ID: 22025417
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Journal Name: Applied Physics Letters Journal Issue: 4 Vol. 100; ISSN APPLAB; ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
ANTIFERROMAGNETIC MATERIALS
ANTIFERROMAGNETISM
BISMUTH COMPOUNDS
DICHROISM
DOMAIN STRUCTURE
ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
EMISSION SPECTROSCOPY
EPITAXY
FERROELECTRIC MATERIALS
IRON OXIDES
MONOCRYSTALS
PHOTOEMISSION
THIN FILMS
X-RAY PHOTOELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY