Comparison of room-temperature multiferroics in Bi_4Fe_2TiO_(12) film and bulk

It was reported that both dielectricity and magnetism at room temperature were appreciably improved in Bi4Fe2TiO12 film compared with Bi4Fe2TiO12 bulk. X-ray diffraction profiles reveal similar crystalline nature and random orientation of the two, but X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy （XPS） experiments indicate that it is 1.4 eV lower binding energy of core-state Ols in the film relative to that of the bulk, so the improvement of multiferroics in the film is attributed to oxygen vacancies and high fraction of interface. The results have promising applications in multifunctional integrated devices.

Intrinsic ferroelectrics and carrier doping-induced metallic multiferroics in an atomic wire

Low-dimensional multiferroic metals characterized by the simultaneous coexistence of ferroelectricity,conductivity,and magnetism hold tremendous potential for scientific and technological endeavors.However,the mutually exclusive mechanisms among these properties impede the discovery of multifunctional conducting multiferroics,especially at the atomic-scale.Here,based on first-principles calculations,we design and demonstrate intrinsic one-dimensional(1D)ferroelectrics and carrier dopinginduced metallic multiferroics in an atomicWOF4 wire.TheWOF4 atomic wire that can be derived from a 1D van derWaals crystal exhibits pronounced ferroelectricity manifested in the form of large cooperative atomic displacements.By performing Monte Carlo simulations with an effective Hamiltonian method,we obtain the nanowire that can sustain a high Curie temperature,indicating its potential for roomtemperature applications.Moreover,doping with electrons is found to induce magnetism and metallic conductivity that coexists with the ferroelectric distortion in the nanowire.These appealing properties in conjunction with the experimental feasibility enable the doped WOF4 nanowire to act as a promising atomic-scale multifunctional material.

Thermophysical properties of BiFeO_(3)/REE multiferroics in a wide temperature range

The paper presents the results of a comprehensive study of the thermophysical properties(thermal conductivity,thermal diffusivity,heat capacity)of high-temperature multiferroic BiFeO_(3) modified with rare-earth elements(REEs)(La,Pr,Nd,Sm,Eu,Gd,Tb,Dy,Ho,Er,Tm,Lu).The regularities of the formation of the mentioned characteristics were established.The assumptions about the nature of the observed phenomena were suggested.

Studies of electrical conductivity and magnetic properties of Bi_(1-x)Gd_(x)FeO_(3) multiferroics

The polycrystalline samples of Bi_(1-x)Gd_(x)FeO_(3)(x=0,0.1,and 0.2)muliferroic oxides have been synthesized by a solid-state reaction/mixed oxide technique.The preliminary X-ray structural analysis with room temperature diffraction data confirmed the formation of single-phase systems.Study of room temperature scanning electron micrograph(SEM)of the surface of the above samples exhibits a uniform distribution of plate-and rod shaped grains throughout the sample surface with less porosity.The dielectric behavior of the materials was studied in a wide range of frequency(1 kHz-1 MHz)and temperature(30-400℃).The nature of temperature dependence of de conductivity confirms the Arrhenius behavior of the materials.The frequency-temperature dependence of ac conductivity suggests that the material obeys Jonscher's universal power law.An increase in Gd-content results in the enhancement of spontaneous magnetization BiFeO_(3)(BFO)due to the collapse of spin cycloid structure.The magnetoelectric coupling coefficient of BFO has been enhanced on Gd-substitution.

Room-temperature giant magnetotranstance effect in single-phase multiferroics

Single-phase multiferroic materials are usually considered useless because of the weak magnetoelectric effects,low operating temperature,and small electric polarization induced by magnetic orders.As a result,current studies on applications of the magnetoelectric effects are mainly focusing on multiferroic heterostructures and composites.Here we report a room-temperature giant effect in response to external magnetic fields in single-phase multiferroics.A low magnetic field of 1000 Oe applied on the spin-driven multiferroic hexaferrites BaSrCo_(2) Fe_(11)AlO_(22) and Ba_(0.9)Sr_(1.1)Co_(2) Fe_(11)AlO_(22)is able to cause a huge change in the linear magnetoelectric coefficient(α_(E)=dE/dH) by several orders,leading to a giant magnetotranstance(GMT) effect at room temperature.The GMT effect is comparable to the well-known giant magnetoresistance(GMR) effect in magnetic multilayers,and thus opens up a door toward practical applications for single-phase multiferroics.

Nonreciprocal directional dichroism in multiferroics

Nonreciprocal directional dichroism in multiferroics,namely magnetoelectric coupling in the dynamic regime,is endowed with rich physics and promising applications,which are entangled with fundamental physical components,such as spin,orbital,lattice,charge,and topology.Such a linear nonreciprocal response behavior in the GHz-THz frequency range,represented by optical magnetoelectric effect and magnetochiral dichroism,occurs ubiquitously in material systems with the spontaneous breaking of space-time symmetry,and is subject to Onsager’s reciprocal theorem in the thermodynamic limit.Microscopically,these nonreciprocal responses are usually encoded by toroidization(chirality)and electromagnon(quasiparticle),thus establishing a comprehensive understanding of magnetoelectric coupling and irreversible dynamics.Herein,the basic mechanisms and emergent nonreciprocal directional dichroism in single-phase multiferroics are summarized.We expect that the present review will stimulate diverse possibilities toward nonreciprocal directional dichroism within and beyond multiferroics.

Three-dimensional general magneto-electro-elastic finite element model for multiphysics nonlinear analysis of layered composites

In this paper,by defining a general potential energy for the multiphase coupled multiferroics and applying the minimum energy principle,the coupled governing equations are derived.This system of equations is then discretized as a general three-dimensional(3D)finite element(FE)model based on the COMSOL software.After validating the formulation,it is then applied to the analysis and design of the common sandwich structure of multiferroics composites.Under the typical static loading,the effects of general lateral boundary conditions,material grading,nonlinearity,as well as polarization orientation on the composites are analyzed.For the magneto-electro-elastic(MEE)sandwich made of piezoelectric BaTiO_(3)and magnetostrictive CoFe_(2)O_(4)with different stacking sequences,various interesting features are observed which should be very helpful for the design of high-performance multiphase composites.

Structural evolution-enabled BiFeO3 modulated by strontium doping with enhanced dielectric,optical and superparamagnetic properties by a modified sol-gel method

Multiferroic(BFO)nanoparticles doped with strontium with the general formula Bi1-xSrx FeO3(x=0,0.3,0.5,0.7)were synthesized using a modified sol-gel auto-combustion process.The structural,electrical,optical,and magnetic properties of the samples are discussed.The structural analysis,carried out using the x-ray powder diffraction technique,shows a structural transition from rhombohedral(R-3c)to cubic(Pm-3m)for the doping amount of strontium(Sr)equal to x=0.3.Morphological analysis of the prepared samples were carried out using scanning electron microscopy(SEM).Frequency-dependent dielectric constant and ac conductivity were studied.The doped samples,with improved dielectric properties,can be used to fabricate different optoelectronic devices.Strong dielectric dispersion and broad relaxation were exhibited by all the samples.Cole–Cole plots were employed as an effective tool to study the dispersion parameters,namely,the optical dielectric constant,static dielectric constant,relaxation time,and spreading factor.The activation energy was calculated from the relaxation peaks and Cole–Cole plots,which were found to be compatible with each other.The bandgap of the samples was calculated using diffuse reflectance spectral(DRS)analysis.Sharp and strong photoluminescence in the IR region was observed in the samples,similar to ZnO,which was reported for the first time.Room-temperature and low-temperature magnetization studies point towards the superparamagnetic nature of the samples,with an improvement in magnetic properties with doping.The antiferromagnetic behavior of bulk bismuth ferrite transforms to superparamagnetic in nature for both pure and Sr-substituted bismuth ferrite nanoparticles due to the close dimensions of crystallite size with magnetic domains leading to the break-down of the frustrated spin cycloidal moment.

Switchable hidden spin polarization and negative Poisson's ratio in two-dimensional antiferroelectric wurtzite crystals

Two-dimensional(2D)antiferroelectric materials have raised great research interest over the last decade.Here,we reveal a type of 2D antiferroelectric(AFE)crystal where the AFE polarization direction can be switched by a certain degree in the 2D plane.Such 2D functional materials are realized by stacking the exfoliated wurtzite(wz)monolayers with“self-healable”nature,which host strongly coupled ferroelasticity/antiferroelectricity and benign stability.The AFE candidates,i.e.,Zn X and Cd X(X=S,Se,Te),are all semiconductors with direct bandgap atΓpoint,which harbors switchable antiferroelectricity and ferroelasticity with low transition barriers,hidden spin polarization,as well as giant in-plane negative Poisson's ratio(NPR),enabling the co-tunability of hidden spin characteristics and auxetic magnitudes via AFE switching.The 2D AFE wz crystals provide a platform to probe the interplay of 2D antiferroelectricity,ferroelasticity,NPR,and spin effects,shedding new light on the rich physics and device design in wz semiconductors.

The twisted two-dimensional ferroelectrics

Since the beginning of research on two-dimensional(2D)materials,a few numbers of 2D ferroelectric materials have been predicted or experimentally confirmed,but 2D ferroelectrics as necessary functional materials are greatly important in developing future electronic devices.Recent breakthroughs in 2D ferroelectric materials are impressive,and the physical and structural properties of twisted 2D ferroelectrics,a new type of ferroelectric structure by rotating alternating monolayers to form an angle with each other,have attracted widespread interest and discussion.Here,we review the latest research on twisted 2D ferroelectrics,including Bernal-stacked bilayer graphene/BN,bilayer boron nitride,and transition metal dichalcogenides.Finally,we prospect the development of twisted 2D ferroelectrics and discuss the challenges and future of 2D ferroelectric materials.

Multiferroic monolayers VOX(X = Cl, Br, I): Tunable ferromagnetism via charge doping and ferroelastic switching

The fascinating properties arising from the interaction between different ferroic states of two-dimensional(2D) materials have inspired tremendous research interest in the past few years.Under the first-principles calculations,we predict the coexistence of antiferromagnetic and ferroelastic states in VOX(X=Cl,Br,I) monolayers.The results illustrate that the VOX monolayers exhibit indirect bandgap characteristics,i.e.,their gaps decrease with the halide elements changing from Cl to I.The ground states of all these VOX monolayers are antiferromagnetic(AFM) with the magnetic moments contributed by the V 3d electrons.Furthermore,the magnetic ground state changing from AFM to ferromagnetism(FM) can be realized by doping carriers.In addition,the moderate ferroelastic transition barrier and reversible switching signal ensure their high performances of nonvolatile memory devices.Our findings not only offer an ideal platform for investigating the multiferroic properties,but also provide candidate materials for potential applications in spintronics.

Prediction of a monolayer spin-spiral semiconductor:CoO with a honeycomb lattice

The recent successful fabrication of two-dimensional(2D)CoO with nanometer-thickness motivates us to investigate monolayer CoO due to possible magnetic properties induced by Co atoms.Here,we employ first-principles calculations to show that monolayer CoO is a 2D spin-spiral semiconductor with a honeycomb lattice.The calculated phonon dispersion reveals the monolayer's dynamical stability.Monolayer CoO exhibits a type-I spin-spiral magnetic ground state.The spinspiral state and the direct bandgap character are both robust under biaxial compressive strain(-5%)to tensile strain(5%).The bandgap varies only slightly under either compressive or tensile strain up to 5%.These results suggest a potential for applications in spintronic devices and offer a new platform to explore magnetism in the 2D limit.

Charge-mediated voltage modulation of magnetism in Hf_(0.5)Zr_(0.5)O_(2)/Co multiferroic heterojunction

We construct the Hall-bar device with the size of several hundred nanometers based on the HZO/Co multiferroic heterojunction. A remarkable voltage-controlled magnetism is observed in the device that possesses both ferroelectric property and perpendicular magnetic anisotropy(PMA). The nucleation field and coercivity can be modulated by voltage pulse while saturation field keeps stable. The non-volatile and reversible voltage-controlled magnetism is ascribable to interfacial charges caused by ferroelectric polarization. Meanwhile, the effective anisotropy energy density(Ku) can also be controlled by voltage pulse, a decrease of 83% and increase of 28% in Kuare realized under-3-V and 3-V pulses,respectively. Because the energy barrier is directly proportional to Ku under a given volume, a decreased or enhanced energy barrier can be controlled by voltage pulse. Thus, it is an effective method to realize low-power and high-stability magneto-resistive random-access memory(MRAM).

Co-precipitation/Hydrothermal Synthesis of BiFeO_3 Powder

A coprecipitation/hydrothermal route was utilized to fabricate pure phase BiFeO3 powders using FeCl3·6H2O and Bi（NO3）3·5H2O as starting materials, ammonia as precipitant and NaOH as mineralizer. The synthesized powders were characterized by XRD, SEM and DSC-TG analysis. In the process, single-phase BiFeO3 powders could be obtained at a hydrothermal reaction temperature of 180 ℃, with NaOH of 0.15 mol/L, in contrast to 200 ℃ and 4 mol/L for conventional hydrothermal route. Meanwhile, the micro-morphology of synthesized BiFeO3 powders changed with different reaction temperatures and concentrations of NaOH. The N6el temperature, Curie temperature and decomposition temperature of the synthesized BiFeO3 powders were detected to be 301 ℃, 828 ℃ and 964 ℃, respectively. The hydrothermal reactions mechanism to fabricate BiFeO3 powders were discussed based on the in-situ transformation process.

Multiferroic behaviour of epitaxial NiFe_2O_4-BaTiO_3 heterostructures

Multiferroic NiFe2O4 （NFO）-BaTiO3 （BTO） bilayered thin films are epitaxially grown on （001） Nb-doped SrTiO3 （STO） substrates by pulsed-laser deposition （PLD）. Different growth sequences of NFO and BTO on the substrate yield two kinds of epitaxial heterostructures with （001）-orientation, i.e. （001）-NFO/（001）-BTO/substrate and （001）- BTO/（001）-NFO/substrate. Microstructure studies from x-ray diffraction （XRD） and electron microscopies show differences between these two heterostructures, which result in different multiferroic behaviours. The heterostructured composite films exhibit good coexistence of both ferroelectric and ferromagnetic properties, in particular, obvious magnetoelectric （ME） effect on coupling response.

Structural and Electronic Properties of Bixo₃(X = Mn, Fe, Cr)

The candidate multiferroic BiCrO3 and its chemical neighbors BiMnO3 and BiFeO3 are known to be ferromagnetic and ferroelectric respectively. With structural distortions driven by the strongly polarizable Bi ions, we present results of the first-principles density functional calculations using the (FP-LMTO) method with the spin-orbit coupling for those materials in the pseudo-cubic perovskite phase. The results showed that the valence bands in these compounds are formed by the 6p orbitals of bismuth and 3d orbital’s of the transition metals. Our results indicate that these materials have metallic behavior for spin-up polarization but being a clear tandance for semiconductor spin-down BiMnO3.

Structures and local ferroelectric polarization switching properties of orthorhombic YFeO_3 thin film prepared by a sol–gel method

Orthorhombic YFeO_3 thin film was prepared on La_(0.67)Sr_(0.33)MnO_3/LaAlO_3 substrate by a sol-gel spin-coating method. The structures of the YFeO_3/La_(0.67)Sr_(0.33)MnO_3/LaAlO_3(YFO/LSMO/LAO) sample were detected by x-ray diffraction pattern, Raman spectrometer, scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscope. The local ferroelectric polarization switching properties of the orthorhombic YFO film were confirmed by piezoresponse force microscopy(PFM) for the first time. The results show that the YFO film deposited on LSMO/LAO possesses orthorhombic structure,with ultra-fine crystal grains and flat surface. The leakage current of the YFO film is 8.39 × 10^(-4) A·cm^(-2) at 2 V,with its leakage mechanism found to be an ohmic behavior. PFM measurements indicate that the YFO film reveals weak ferroelectricity at room temperature and the local switching behavior of ferroelectric domains has been identified. By local poling experiment, polarization reversal in the orthorhombic YFO film at room temperature was further observed.

Effect of Co substitution on the structural,electrical,and magnetic properties of Bi_(0.9)La_(0.1)FeO_3 by sol-gel synthesis

Cobalt （Co）-doped Bi0.9La0.lFeO3 multiferroics were synthesized by a sol-gel method based on the auto- combustion technique. As-synthesized powder was examined using various characterization techniques to explore the effect of Co substitution on the properties of Bi0.9La0.1FeO3. X-ray diffraction reveals that Co-doped Bi0.9La0.1FeO3 preserves the perovskite-type rhombohedral structure of BiFeO3, and the composition without Co preserves the original structure of the phase; however, a second-phase Bi2Fe409 has been identified in all other compositions. Surface morphological studies were performed by scanning electron microscopy. Temperature-dependent resistivity of the samples reveals the characteristic insulating behavior of the multiferroic material. The resistivity is found to decrease with the increase both in temperature and Co content. Room temperature frequency-dependent dielectric measurements were also reported. Magnetic measurements show the enhancement in magnetization with the increase in Co content.

Multiferroicity in B-site ordered double perovskite Y_2MnCrO_6

Double perovskite manganite Y2MnCrO6 ceramic Novel multiferroic properties are displayed with respect is synthesized and its multiferroic properties are investigated. to other multiferroics, such as high ferroelectric phase transi- tion temperature, and the coexistence of ferrimagnetism and ferroelectricity. Moreover, the ferroelectric polarization of Y2MnCrO6 below the magnetic phase temperature can be effectively tuned by an external magnetic field, showing a re- markable magnetoelectric effect. These results open an effective avenue to explore magnetic multiferroics with spontaneous magnetization and ferroelectricity, as well as a high ferroelectric transition temperature.

Ho and Ti co-doped BiFeO_3 multiferroic ceramics with enhanced magnetization and ultrahigh electrical resistivity

Bio.9HOo.lFeo.9503 and Bio.9HOo.lFeo.9Tio.0503 ceramics were prepared and compared to reveal the effects of Ho and Ti codoping in BiFeO3. X-ray diffraction indicated that both ceramics had a high rhombohedral perovskite phase content, and microstructural analyses showed that the grains of the Bio.9HOo.lFeo.9Tio.0503 ceramics were much smaller than those of Bio.9HOo.lFeo.9503. An electrical resistivity of more than 1 × 1014.cm at room temperature, and a magnetic hysteresis loop with a remnant magnetization 2Mr of 0.485 emu/g were obtained for Bi0.9HO0.1Fe0.9Ti0.0503; both were much higher than those of Bio.9Hoo.1Feo.9503. Changes in the defect subsystem of BiFeO3 induced by Fe-deficiency and （Ho,Ti） codoping are proposed as being responsible for the improvement in the properties.