Magnetoelectric thin films by solution methods

Abstract

Magnetoelectric (ME) multiferroics (MFs) materials, which exhibit electric order and some magnetic order, are of great interest for memory, energy harvesting, and sensing applications. Such ME MFs can be :(i) single-phase MFs and (ii) biphasic MFs. In this work, structural, ferroelectric, magnetic and ME properties of thin films of both type of ME MFs were studied. Facile and cost-effective solution-methods were used to fabricate thin films and nanocomposites of ME MF materials. The single-phase DyCrO3 and GdFe0.5Cr0.5O3 thin films showed magnetically induced dielectric behavior and independent magnetic/electric orders, respectively. In biphasic nanocomposites, concentration and connectivity of two phases play an important role in defining the ME coupling that is mediated through mechanical strain at the interfaces between the two phases. The ME switching and coupling behavior in the nanocomposite PbZr0.52Ti0.48O3:CoFe2O4 thin films will be presented in detail.