Room-temperature magnetoelectric multiferroicity has been observed in c-axis oriented GaFeO3 thin films (space group Pna2(1)), grown on economic and technologically important (100)Si substrates by a pulsed laser deposition technique. Structural analysis and comprehensive mapping of the Ga:Fe ratio across a length scale range of 10(4) reveals coexistence of epitaxial and chemical strain. It induces formation of finer magnetic domains and large magnetoelectric coupling-a decrease in remanent polarization by similar to 21 under similar to 50 kOe. Magnetic force microscopy reveals the presence of both finer (<100 nm) and coarser (similar to 2 mu m) magnetic domains. Strong multiferroicity in epitaxial GaFeO3 thin films, grown on a (100)Si substrate, brighten the prospect of their integration with Si-based electronics and could pave the way for development of economic and more efficient electromechanical, electrooptic, or magnetoelectric sensor devices. Published under an exclusive license by AIP Publishing.
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