Search Results (6)

The microwave properties of structures in the form of the 2 μm iron-yttrium garnet (YIG) films, grown by the ion beam sputtering deposition method on epitaxially mismatched substrates of ferroelectric ceramics based on lead zirconate titanate (PZT, PbZr_0.45Ti_0.55O₃), are discussed. The obtained structures were formed and pre-smoothed by the ion beam planarization substrates with the use of an anti-diffusion layer of titanium dioxide TiO₂. The atomic force microscopy showed that the planarization of the substrates allows for reaching a nanoscale level of roughness (up to 10 nm). The presence of smooth plane–parallel interfaces of YIG/TiO₂ and TiO₂/PZT is evidenced by scanning electron microscopy performed in focused gallium ion beams. Ferromagnetic resonance spectroscopy revealed a broadening in the absorption line of the ferrite garnet layers in the resonance ≈ 100 Oe. This broadening is associated with the presence of defects caused by the of the ceramic substrate non-ideality. The estimated damping coefficient of spin waves turned out to be ~10⁻³, which is two orders of magnitude higher than in an ideal YIG single crystal. The YIG/TiO₂/PZT structures obtained can be used for the study of spin waves. Full article

Multiferroic thin films are a promising class of multifunctional materials, since they allow the integration of multiple functionalities within a single device. In order to overcome the scarcity of single phase multiferroics, it is crucial to develop novel multiferroic heterostructures, combining good ferroelectric and ferromagnetic properties as well as a strong coupling between them. For this purpose, Ba₂EuFeNb₄O₁₅/BaFe₁₂O₁₉ multiferroic magnetoelectric bilayers have been epitaxially grown on niobium doped SrTiO₃ (100) single crystal substrates by pulsed laser deposition. The simultaneous presence of both ferroelectric and magnetic properties—due, respectively, to the Ba₂EuFeNb₄O₁₅ and BaFe₁₂O₁₉ components—was demonstrated at room temperature, attesting the multiferroic nature of the heterostructure. More interestingly, a strong magnetoelectric coupling was demonstrated (i) by manipulating the ferroelectric properties via an external magnetic field, and conversely, (ii) by tuning the magnetic properties via an external electric field. This strong magnetoelectric coupling shows the high interdependence of both ferroic orders in the Ba₂EuFeNb₄O₁₅/BaFe₁₂O₁₉ heterostructure, mediated by elastic (epitaxial) strain at the interfaces. Full article

The ab initio calculations of a heterostructure based on the ferroelectric phase of barium titanate and dielectrics lanthanum manganese (LaMnO₃) or silicon (Si) are presented. We analyze structures of BaTiO₃/LaMnO₃ and BaTiO₃/Si interfaces, investigate magnetic properties and the impact of ferroelectric polarization. The use of ferroelectrics in the heterostructure plays a crucial role; in particular, ferroelectric polarization leads to the appearance of the conducting state at the interface and in the layers close to it. We show that defects (here, oxygen vacancies) incorporated into the system may change the electronic and magnetic properties of a system. Experimental results of magnetic susceptibility measurements for the Ba_0.8Sr_0.2TiO₃/LaMnO₃ heterostructure are also presented. It is shown that a correlation between the behavior of the ferromagnetic ordering and the resistance takes place. In addition, the ferromagnetic ordering at the interface of the heterostructure can be associated with the exchange interaction through current carriers that appear in high carrier concentration regions. Full article

The competition between magnetic shape anisotropy and the induced uniaxial magnetic anisotropy in the heterojunction between a ferromagnetic layer and a ferroelectric substrate serves to control magnetic domain structures as well as magnetization reversal characteristics. The uniaxial magnetic anisotropy, originating from the symmetry breaking effect in the heterojunction, plays a significant role in modifying the characteristics of magnetization dynamics. Magnetoelastic phenomena are known to generate uniaxial magnetic anisotropy; however, the interfacial electronic states that may contribute to the uniaxial magnetic anisotropy have not yet been adequately investigated. Here, we report experimental evidence concerning the binding energy change in the ferromagnetic layer/ferroelectric substrate heterojunction using X-ray photoemission spectroscopy. The binding energy shifts, corresponding to the chemical shifts, reveal the binding states near the interface. Our results shed light on the origin of the uniaxial magnetic anisotropy induced from the heterojunction. This knowledge can provide a means for the simultaneous control of magnetism, mechanics, and electronics in a nano/microsystem consisting of ferromagnetic/ferroelectric materials. Full article

We present in this paper the effects of Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya (DM) magneto–electric coupling between ferroelectric and magnetic interface atomic layers in a superlattice formed by alternate magnetic and ferroelectric films. We consider two cases: magnetic and ferroelectric films have the simple cubic lattice and the triangular lattice. In the two cases, magnetic films have Heisenberg spins interacting with each other via an exchange J and a DM interaction with the ferroelectric interface. The electrical polarizations of $\pm 1$ are assumed for the ferroelectric films. We determine the ground-state (GS) spin configuration in the magnetic film and study the phase transition in each case. In the simple cubic lattice case, in zero field, the GS is periodically non collinear (helical structure) and in an applied field $\mathbf{H}$ perpendicular to the layers, it shows the existence of skyrmions at the interface. Using the Green’s function method we study the spin waves (SW) excited in a monolayer and also in a bilayer sandwiched between ferroelectric films, in zero field. We show that the DM interaction strongly affects the long-wave length SW mode. We calculate also the magnetization at low temperatures. We use next Monte Carlo simulations to calculate various physical quantities at finite temperatures such as the critical temperature, the layer magnetization and the layer polarization, as functions of the magneto–electric DM coupling and the applied magnetic field. Phase transition to the disordered phase is studied. In the case of the triangular lattice, we show the formation of skyrmions even in zero field and a skyrmion crystal in an applied field when the interface coupling between the ferroelectric film and the ferromagnetic film is rather strong. The skyrmion crystal is stable in a large region of the external magnetic field. The phase transition is studied. Full article

Improvement of magnetic, electronic, optical, and catalytic properties in cutting-edge technologies including drug delivery, energy storage, magnetic transistor, and spintronics requires novel nanomaterials. This article discusses the unique, clean, and homogeneous physiochemical synthesis of BaTiO₃/iron oxide core–shell nanoparticles with interfaces between ferroelectric and ferromagnetic materials. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy displayed the distinguished disparity between the core and shell of the synthesized nanoparticles. Elemental mapping and line scan confirmed the formation of the core–shell structure. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy detected the surface iron oxide phase as maghemite. Rietveld analysis of the X-ray diffraction data labeled the crystallinity and phase purity. This study provides a promising platform for the desirable property development of the futuristic multifunctional nanodevices. Full article