Magnetic Structure of Multiferroic BiFeO3 Film with Engineered Ferroelectric Domains

Journal Article · Fri Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 2010 · Physical Review B

OSTI ID:991691

Zhang, P P ^[1]; Baek, S H ^[2]; Zarestky, Jerel L ^[3]; Tian, Wei ^[4]; Eom, C-B ^[5]

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1. Michigan State University, East Lansing
2. University of Wisconsin
3. Ames Laboratory
4. Ames Laboratory and Iowa State University
5. HSX Laboratory, University of Wisconsin-Madison

We report on neutron scattering and piezoresponse force microscopy studies of multiferroic BiFeO{sub 3} films epitaxially grown on vicinal SrTiO{sub 3} substrates. We find that these BiFeO{sub 3} films exhibit a G-type antiferromagnetic structure modulated with cycloidal spiral magnetic ordering with the features of magnetic domains depending upon the ferroelectric domain states: a single antiferromagnetic domain for the films with a ferroelectric monodomain while two- or multiantiferromagnetic domains existing in the films displaying two- or four-ferroelectric variants, respectively. These results imply the correlation between ferroelectric and magnetic order parameters in the BiFeO{sub 3} films and the expected strong magnetoelectric coupling makes these multiferroic films promising candidates for device applications with the capability to tune the magnetism using an electric field.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Science (SC)
• DOE Contract Number: DE-AC05-00OR22725
• OSTI ID: 991691
• Journal Information: Physical Review B, Vol. 82, Issue 13; ISSN 1098-0121
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
ELECTRIC FIELDS
MAGNETISM
MICROSCOPY
NEUTRONS
ORDER PARAMETERS
SCATTERING
SUBSTRATES