Enhanced ferroelectric properties in multiferroic epitaxial Ba2EuFeNb4O15 thin films grown by pulsed laser deposition

• Published in: Materials research bulletin 2017-03, Vol.87, p.186-192
• Main Authors: Hajlaoui, T., Corbellini, L., Harnagea, C., Josse, M., Pignolet, A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: A. Multiferroic; B. Epitaxial growth; C. Thin films; Chemical Sciences; D. Composite; Material chemistry
• ISSN: 0025-5408; 1873-4227
• DOI: 10.1016/j.materresbull.2016.11.033

[Display omitted] •The epitaxial thin films of Ba2EuFeNb4O15 synthesized by pulsed laser deposition.•The epitaxial relationships of c-oriented films on MgO(100) substrates determined.•The composite nature of the PLD-grown epitaxial thin films evidenced.•The films exhibit ferroelectric and ferromagnetic properties at room temperature. High-quality thin films of Ba2EuFeNb4O15 have been epitaxially grown on MgO(001) substrates by pulsed laser deposition. Structural investigations indicate the successful growth of the desired c-oriented phase, and showed four growth variants with the thin film unit cell rotated in-plane by an angle of ±18.4° and ±31° with respect to the MgO substrate unit cell. The epitaxial thin films of Ba2EuFeNb4O15 exhibited a considerable enhancement of ferroelectricity compared to the bulk materials and films with the same composition previously studied. Microelectromechanical characterization of these epitaxial films demonstrated stable ferroelectric properties preserved down to nanoscale. In addition, magnetic ordering was evidenced, which suggests the presence of a magnetic phase within the ferroelectric phase. We therefore demonstrated the synthesis of nanocomposite thin films based on the tetragonal tungsten bronze structure, which are multiferroic at room temperature.