Destruction of spin cycloid in (111)(c)-oriented BiFeO3 thin films by epitiaxial constraint: Enhanced polarization and release of latent magnetization

Date
2005-01-01Author
Bai, Feiming
Wang, Junling
Wuttig, Manfred
Li, Jiefang
Wang, Naigang
Pyatakov, Alexander P.
Zvezdin, Anatoly Konstantinovich
Cross, L. E.
Viehland, Dwight D.
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In BiFeO3 films, it has been found that epitaxial constraint results in the destruction of a space modulated spin structure. For (111)c films, relative to corresponding bulk crystals, it is shown (i) that the induced magnetization is enhanced at low applied fields; (ii) that the polarization is dramatically enhanced; whereas, (iii) the lattice structure for (111)(c) films and crystals is nearly identical. Our results evidence that eptiaxial constraint induces a transition between cycloidal and homogeneous anti ferromagnetic spin states, releasing a latent antiferromagnetic component locked within the cycloid. (C) 2005 American Institute of Physics.