A Strain-Driven Antiferroelectric-to-Ferroelectric Phase Transition in La-Doped BiFeO3 Thin Films on Si

Deyang Chen; Christopher T. Nelson; Xiaohong Zhu; Claudy R. Serrao; James D. Clarkson; Zhe Wang; Ya Gao; Shang Lin Hsu; Liv R. Dedon; Zuhuang Chen; Di Yi; Heng Jui Liu; Dechang Zeng; Ying Hao Chu; Jian Liu; Darrell G. Schlom; Ramamoorthy Ramesh

doi:10.1021/acs.nanolett.7b03030

A Strain-Driven Antiferroelectric-to-Ferroelectric Phase Transition in La-Doped BiFeO₃ Thin Films on Si

Deyang Chen, Christopher T. Nelson, Xiaohong Zhu, Claudy R. Serrao, James D. Clarkson, Zhe Wang, Ya Gao, Shang Lin Hsu, Liv R. Dedon, Zuhuang Chen, Di Yi, Heng Jui Liu, Dechang Zeng, Ying Hao Chu, Jian Liu, Darrell G. Schlom, Ramamoorthy Ramesh

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

66 Scopus citations

Abstract

A strain-driven orthorhombic (O) to rhombohedral (R) phase transition is reported in La-doped BiFeO₃ thin films on silicon substrates. Biaxial compressive epitaxial strain is found to stabilize the rhombohedral phase at La concentrations beyond the morphotropic phase boundary (MPB). By tailoring the residual strain with film thickness, we demonstrate a mixed O/R phase structure consisting of O phase domains measuring tens of nanometers wide within a predominant R phase matrix. A combination of piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), polarization-electric field hysteresis loop (P-E loop), and polarization maps reveal that the O-R structural change is an antiferroelectric to ferroelectric (AFE-FE) phase transition. Using scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), an atomically sharp O/R MPB is observed. Moreover, X-ray absorption spectra (XAS) and X-ray linear dichroism (XLD) measurements reveal a change in the antiferromagnetic axis orientation from out of plane (R-phase) to in plane (O-phase). These findings provide direct evidence of spin-charge-lattice coupling in La-doped BiFeO₃ thin films. Furthermore, this study opens a new pathway to drive the AFE-FE O-R phase transition and provides a route to study the O/R MPB in these films.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	5823-5829
Number of pages	7
Journal	Nano Letters
Volume	17
Issue number	9
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.nanolett.7b03030
State	Published - Sep 13 2017
Externally published	Yes

Funding

This work was primarily funded by the National Science Foundation (Nanosystems Engineering Research Center for Translational Applications of Nanoscale Multiferroic Systems) under grant number EEC-1160504. Electron microscopy was performed at National Center for Electron Microscopy (NCEM), LBNL which is supported by the Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, of the U.S. Department of Energy under contract no. DE-AC02-05CH11231. Use of the Advanced Light Source is supported by the Director, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, of the U.S. Department of Energy under contract no. DE-AC02-05CH11231. D.Y.C. acknowledges financial support from the Oversea Study Program of Guangzhou Elite Project (GEP). J.L. acknowledges financial support by the Science Alliance Joint Directed Research and Development Program at the University of Tennessee.

Funders	Funder number
GEP
Oversea Study Program of Guangzhou Elite Project
National Science Foundation	EEC-1160504
U.S. Department of Energy	DE-AC02-05CH11231
Office of Science
Basic Energy Sciences
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
University of Tennessee

Keywords

BiFeO
antiferroelectric
antiferromagnetic
multiferroic
spin-charge-lattice coupling
strain engineering

Access to Document

10.1021/acs.nanolett.7b03030

Cite this

Chen, D., Nelson, C. T., Zhu, X., Serrao, C. R., Clarkson, J. D., Wang, Z., Gao, Y., Hsu, S. L., Dedon, L. R., Chen, Z., Yi, D., Liu, H. J., Zeng, D., Chu, Y. H., Liu, J., Schlom, D. G., & Ramesh, R. (2017). A Strain-Driven Antiferroelectric-to-Ferroelectric Phase Transition in La-Doped BiFeO₃ Thin Films on Si. Nano Letters, 17(9), 5823-5829. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.nanolett.7b03030

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abstract = "A strain-driven orthorhombic (O) to rhombohedral (R) phase transition is reported in La-doped BiFeO3 thin films on silicon substrates. Biaxial compressive epitaxial strain is found to stabilize the rhombohedral phase at La concentrations beyond the morphotropic phase boundary (MPB). By tailoring the residual strain with film thickness, we demonstrate a mixed O/R phase structure consisting of O phase domains measuring tens of nanometers wide within a predominant R phase matrix. A combination of piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), polarization-electric field hysteresis loop (P-E loop), and polarization maps reveal that the O-R structural change is an antiferroelectric to ferroelectric (AFE-FE) phase transition. Using scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), an atomically sharp O/R MPB is observed. Moreover, X-ray absorption spectra (XAS) and X-ray linear dichroism (XLD) measurements reveal a change in the antiferromagnetic axis orientation from out of plane (R-phase) to in plane (O-phase). These findings provide direct evidence of spin-charge-lattice coupling in La-doped BiFeO3 thin films. Furthermore, this study opens a new pathway to drive the AFE-FE O-R phase transition and provides a route to study the O/R MPB in these films.",

keywords = "BiFeO, antiferroelectric, antiferromagnetic, multiferroic, spin-charge-lattice coupling, strain engineering",

author = "Deyang Chen and Nelson, {Christopher T.} and Xiaohong Zhu and Serrao, {Claudy R.} and Clarkson, {James D.} and Zhe Wang and Ya Gao and Hsu, {Shang Lin} and Dedon, {Liv R.} and Zuhuang Chen and Di Yi and Liu, {Heng Jui} and Dechang Zeng and Chu, {Ying Hao} and Jian Liu and Schlom, {Darrell G.} and Ramamoorthy Ramesh",

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AU - Nelson, Christopher T.

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AU - Serrao, Claudy R.

AU - Clarkson, James D.

AU - Wang, Zhe

AU - Gao, Ya

AU - Hsu, Shang Lin

AU - Dedon, Liv R.

AU - Chen, Zuhuang

AU - Yi, Di

AU - Liu, Heng Jui

AU - Zeng, Dechang

AU - Chu, Ying Hao

AU - Liu, Jian

AU - Schlom, Darrell G.

AU - Ramesh, Ramamoorthy

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