A strain-driven morphotropic phase boundary in BiFeO3

A phase transition close to room temperature in BiFeO3 thin films

BiFeO3 (BFO) multiferroic oxide has a complex phase diagram that can be mapped by using appropriately substrate-induced strain in epitaxial films. By using Raman spectroscopy, we conclusively show that films of the so-called supertetragonal T-BFO phase, stabilized under compressive strain, display a reversible temperature-induced phase transition at about 100 °C, and thus close to room temperature.

Nanoscale control of phase variants in strain-engineered BiFeO₃

Development of magnetoelectric, electromechanical, and photovoltaic devices based on mixed-phase rhombohedral-tetragonal (R-T) BiFeO(3) (BFO) systems is possible only if the control of the engineered R phase variants is realized. Accordingly, we explore the mechanism of a bias induced phase transformation in this system. Single point spectroscopy demonstrates that the T → R transition is activated at lower voltages compared to T → -T polarization switching. With phase field modeling, the transition is shown to be electrically driven. We further demonstrate that symmetry of formed R-phase rosettes can be broken by a proximal probe motion, allowing controlled creation of R variants with defined orientation. This approach opens a pathway to designing next-generation magnetoelectronic and data storage devices in the nanoscale.

Structure and properties of functional oxide thin films: insights from electronic-structure calculations

The confluence of state-of-the-art electronic-structure computations and modern synthetic materials growth techniques is proving indispensable in the search for and discovery of new functionalities in oxide thin films and heterostructures. Here, we review the recent contributions of electronic-structure calculations to predicting, understanding, and discovering new materials physics in thin-film perovskite oxides. We show that such calculations can accurately predict both structure and properties in advance of film synthesis, thereby guiding the search for materials combinations with specific targeted functionalities. In addition, because they can isolate and decouple the effects of various parameters which unavoidably occur simultaneously in an experiment-such as epitaxial strain, interfacial chemistry and defect profiles-they are able to provide new fundamental knowledge about the underlying physics. We conclude by outlining the limitations of current computational techniques, as well as some important open questions that we hope will motivate further methodological developments in the field.

First-principles investigation of morphotropic transitions and phase-change functional responses in BiFeO3-BiCoO3 multiferroic solid solutions

We present an ab initio study of the BFCO solid solution formed by multiferroics BiFeO(3) (BFO) and BiFeO(3) (BCO). We find that BFCO presents a strongly discontinuous morphotropic transition between BFO-like and BCO-like ferroelectric phases. Further, for all compositions such phases remain (meta)stable and retain well-differentiated properties. Our results thus suggest that an electric field can be used to switch between these structures and show that such a switching involves large phase-change effects of various types, including piezoelectric, electric, and magnetoelectric ones.

BiFeO3 films under tensile epitaxial strain from first principles

Density-functional calculations are performed to predict structural and magnetic properties of (001) BiFeO(3) films under tensile epitaxial strain. These films remain monoclinic (Cc space group) for misfit strains between 0% and ≈8%, with the polarization, tilt axis and magnetization all rotating when varying the strain. At a tensile strain ≈8%, these films undergo a first-order phase transition towards an orthorhombic phase (Ima2 space group). In this novel phase, the polarization and tilt axis lie in the epitaxial plane, while the magnetization is along the out-of-plane direction and the direction of the antiferromagnetic vector is unchanged by the phase transition. An unexpected additional degree of freedom, namely, an antiphase arrangement of Bi atoms, is also found for all tensile strains.

Large isosymmetric reorientation of oxygen octahedra rotation axes in epitaxially strained perovskites

Using first-principles density functional theory calculations, we discover an anomalously large biaxial strain-induced octahedral rotation axis reorientation in orthorhombic perovskites with tendency towards rhombohedral symmetry. The transition between crystallographically equivalent (isosymmetric) structures with different octahedral rotation magnitudes originates from strong strain-octahedral rotation coupling available to perovskites and the energetic hierarchy among competing octahedral tilt patterns. By elucidating these criteria, we suggest many functional perovskites would exhibit the transition in thin film form, thus offering a new landscape in which to tailor highly anisotropic electronic responses.

Nanoscale polarization switching mechanisms in multiferroic BiFeO₃ thin films

Ferroelectric switching in BiFeO₃ multiferroic thin films was studied by piezoresponse force microscopy, as a function of the tip voltage and sweep direction, for samples with two different intrinsic domain structures. In all films, the switched polarization direction follows the in-plane and out-of-plane components of the highly inhomogeneous electric field applied by the microscope tip. In films with 'bubble-like' intrinsic domains, we observed in-plane switching assisted by out-of-plane switching for lower voltage values, and independent in-plane and out-of-plane switching for higher voltages, in both cases allowing full control of the ferroelectric polarization depending on the tip voltage polarity and sweep direction. In films with 'stripe-like' intrinsic domains, independent in-plane and out-of-plane switching was observed, but unswitched stripe domains prevented full control of the ferroelectric polarization over large areas. We correlate the observed switching behavior with the field-driven onset of a highly distorted tetragonal phase predicted by ab initio calculations, which leads to a very high in-plane susceptibility during the return to the non-distorted monoclinic phase when the field is decreased. Depending on the specific strain and disorder present in the sample, the transition towards the highly distorted phase may be asymmetrized, and easier to reach when an electric field opposite to the out-of-plane polarization direction is applied.

Large field-induced strains in a lead-free piezoelectric material

Piezoelectric materials exhibit a mechanical response to electrical inputs, as well as an electrical response to mechanical inputs, which makes them useful in sensors and actuators. Lead-based piezoelectrics demonstrate a large mechanical response, but they also pose a health risk. The ferroelectric BiFeO(3) is an attractive alternative because it is lead-free, and because strain can stabilize BiFeO(3) phases with a structure that resembles a morphotropic phase boundary. Here we report a reversible electric-field-induced strain of over 5% in BiFeO(3) films, together with a characterization of the origins of this effect. In situ transmission electron microscopy coupled with nanoscale electrical and mechanical probing shows that large strains result from moving the boundaries between tetragonal- and rhombohedral-like phases, which changes the phase stability of the mixture. These results demonstrate the potential of BiFeO(3) as a substitute for lead-based materials in future piezoelectric applications.

Critical exponents for isosymmetric phase transitions in BiFeO₃

Recent studies of BiFeO(3) have revealed two first-order phase transitions that do not change symmetry (Pbnm-Pbnm at approx. 1200 K and Cc-Cc under uniaxial stress). Twenty years ago Ishibashi and Hidaka (1991 J. Phys. Soc. Japan 60 1634) showed that such systems generally exhibit a phase diagram with tricritical points and critical end points and gave the unusual mean-field critical exponents α = 2/3, β = 1/3 and γ = 2/3 at the end points. In the present paper I extend that to show δ = 3, ν = 1/3 and η = 0 and suggest some experimental tests.

Chemistry of the Fe₂O₃/BiFeO₃ Interface in BiFeO₃ Thin Film Heterostructures

We investigate the interfacial chemistry of secondary Fe₂O₃ phases formed in a BiFeO₃ (BFO) layer in BFO/ La_0.67Sr_0.33MnO₃ (LSMO)/SrTiO₃ (STO) heterostructures. A combination of high-resolution spherical aberration corrected scanning TEM and spectroscopy results, reveals that specific chemical and crystallographic similarities between Fe₂O₃ and BFO, enable the BFO layer to form a facile host for Fe₂O₃.

Piezoelectric BaTiO₃ thin film nanogenerator on plastic substrates

The piezoelectric generation of perovskite BaTiO3 thin films on a flexible substrate has been applied to convert mechanical energy to electrical energy for the first time. Ferroelectric BaTiO3 thin films were deposited by radio frequency magnetron sputtering on a Pt/Ti/SiO2/(100) Si substrate and poled under an electric field of 100 kV/cm. The metal-insulator (BaTiO3)-metal-structured ribbons were successfully transferred onto a flexible substrate and connected by interdigitated electrodes. When periodically deformed by a bending stage, a flexible BaTiO3 nanogenerator can generate an output voltage of up to 1.0 V. The fabricated nanogenerator produced an output current density of 0.19 μA/cm(2) and a power density of ∼7 mW/cm(3). The results show that a nanogenerator can be used to power flexible displays by means of mechanical agitations for future touchable display technologies.

Control of octahedral tilts and magnetic properties of perovskite oxide heterostructures by substrate symmetry

Perovskite transition-metal oxides are networks of corner-sharing octahedra whose tilts and distortions are known to affect their electronic and magnetic properties. We report calculations on a model interfacial structure which avoids chemical influences and show that the symmetry mismatch imposes an interfacial layer with distortion modes that do not exist in either bulk material, creating new interface properties driven by symmetry alone. Depending on the resistance of the octahedra to deformation, the interface layer can be as small as one unit cell or extend deep into the thin film.

Melting of Bi sublattice in nanosized BiFeO3 Perovskite by resonant X-ray diffraction

Free-standing BiFeO3 perovskite particles with a size ranging from polycrystalline bulk down to 5 nm have been studied by high-energy resonant (Bi K edge) x-ray diffraction coupled to differential atomic pair distribution function analysis. Nanosized BiFeO3 particles are found to exhibit extra, i.e., beyond the usual thermal, structural disorder that increases progressively with diminishing their size. In particles of size smaller than approximately 18 nm the disorder destroys the structural coherence of the Bi sublattice and disturbs that of the Fe-based sublattice in the perovskite structure, substantially affecting the magnetoelectric properties it carries. The new structural information helps better understand the unusual behavior of perovskites structured at the nanoscale.

Cross-control of magnetization and polarization by electric and magnetic fields with competing multiferroic and weak-ferromagnetic phases

From our investigation of magnetoelectric properties of a multiferroic phase in Eu0.75Y0.25MnO3 competing with a weak-ferromagnetic phase in magnetic fields, we found intriguing hysteretic behaviors of physical properties with variation of temperature and magnetic field. These hysteretic behaviors arise from the kinetic arrest (dearrest) processes of the first-order multiferroic-weak-ferromagnetic transition, resulting in frozen (melted) magnetoelectric glass states with coexisting two phases. Tipping the delicate balance of two competing phases by applying electric and magnetic fields leads to a remarkable control of magnetization and electric polarization.

Selectable spontaneous polarization direction and magnetic anisotropy in BiFeO3-CoFe2O4 epitaxial nanostructures

We demonstrate that epitaxial strain engineering is an efficient method to manipulate the ferromagnetic and ferroelectric properties in BiFeO(3)-CoFe(2)O(4) columnar nanocomposites. On one hand, the magnetic anisotropy of CoFe(2)O(4) is totally tunable from parallel to perpendicular controlling the CoFe(2)O(4) strain with proper combinations of substrate and ferroelectric phase. On the other hand, the selection of the used substrate allows the growth of the rhombohedral bulk phase of BiFeO(3) or the metastable nearly tetragonal one, which implies a rotation of the ferroelectric polar axis from [111] to close to the [001] direction. Remarkably, epitaxy is preserved and interfaces are semicoherent even when lattice mismatch is above 10%. The broad range of sustainable mismatch suggests new opportunities to assemble epitaxial nanostructures combining highly dissimilar materials with distinct functionalities.

Bridging multiferroic phase transitions by epitaxial strain in BiFeO3

We report the influence of epitaxial strain on the multiferroic phase transitions of BiFeO3 films. Using advanced characterization techniques and calculations we show that while the magnetic Néel temperature hardly varies, the ferroelectric Curie temperature TC decreases dramatically with strain. This is in contrast with the behavior of standard ferroelectrics where strain enhances the polar cation shifts and thus TC. We argue that this is caused by an interplay of polar and oxygen tilting instabilities and that strain can drive both transitions close together to yield increased magnetoelectric responses.

Ab Initio indications for giant magnetoelectric effects driven by structural softness

We show that inducing structural softness in regular magnetoelectric (ME) multiferroics-i.e., tuning the materials to make their structure strongly reactive to applied fields-makes it possible to obtain very large ME effects. We present illustrative first-principles results for BiFeO(3) thin films.

Nanoscale switching characteristics of nearly tetragonal BiFeO3 thin films

We have investigated the nanoscale switching properties of strain-engineered BiFeO(3) thin films deposited on LaAlO(3) substrates using a combination of scanning probe techniques. Polarized Raman spectral analysis indicates that the nearly tetragonal films have monoclinic (Cc) rather than P4mm tetragonal symmetry. Through local switching-spectroscopy measurements and piezoresponse force microscopy, we provide clear evidence of ferroelectric switching of the tetragonal phase, but the polarization direction, and therefore its switching, deviates strongly from the expected (001) tetragonal axis. We also demonstrate a large and reversible, electrically driven structural phase transition from the tetragonal to the rhombohedral polymorph in this material, which is promising for a plethora of applications.

Photovoltaics with piezoelectric core-shell nanowires

We report on a theoretical discovery of a generic piezoelectric field in strained core-shell compound semiconductor nanowires. We show, using both an analytical model and numerical simulations based on fully electroelastically coupled continuum elasticity theory, that lattice-mismatch-induced strain in an epitaxial core-shell nanowire gives rise to an internal electric field along the axis of the nanowire. This piezoelectric field results predominantly from atomic layer displacements along the nanowire axis within both the core and shell materials and can appear in both zinc blende and wurtzite crystalline core-shell nanowires. The effect can be employed to separate photon-generated electron-hole pairs in the core-shell nanowires and thus offers a new device concept for solar energy conversion.