Abstract
Bismuth ferrite (BiFeO3) as one of the most interesting multiferroics has magnetic states that can be manipulated with electric fields at room temperature, and recent reports of field-stimulated, crystal phase switching in strained BiFeO3 thin films also open the way for realizing phenomena such as giant piezoelectricity. Jan Seidel from the University of New South Wales in Australia and co-workers explored the structural and electronic properties of strained BiFeO3 in exceptional detail using temperature-dependent scanning probe microscopy, electron microscopy and X-ray analysis. These experiments revealed that phase boundaries between orthorhombic and tetragonal regions of the materials are unusually wide - more than 15 unit cells across. Thermal activation turns these boundaries into zones with conductivities up to two orders of magnitude higher than that inside the bulk material, making them highly interesting for nanoelectronics applications.
Highlights
Multiferroic BiFeO3 (BFO) has attracted great interest as a promising lead-free functional material owing to its key properties, including electromechanical and magnetoelectric coupling, domain wall conductance, bias-induced semiconductor–insulator transitions and photovoltaic effects.[1,2,3,4,5,6,7]
Bismuth ferrite is a room temperature multiferroic perovskite exhibiting antiferromagnetism that is coupled with ferroelectric order.[8]
We explore the key features of tensile-strained R–O BFO to gain a better understanding of crystal structures and electronic properties by using various advanced techniques, such as temperature-dependent X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning probe microscope (atomic force microscopy (AFM), piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM), conductive AFM (c-AFM)) and scanning
Summary
Multiferroic BiFeO3 (BFO) has attracted great interest as a promising lead-free functional material owing to its key properties, including electromechanical and magnetoelectric coupling, domain wall conductance, bias-induced semiconductor–insulator transitions and photovoltaic effects.[1,2,3,4,5,6,7] Bismuth ferrite is a room temperature multiferroic perovskite exhibiting antiferromagnetism that is coupled with ferroelectric order.[8]. An orthorhombic–rhombohedral (O–R) phase boundary has been found in tensile-strained BFO. Temperature-dependent measurements reveal that the conductivity is thermally activated for R–O boundaries.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
