Room Temperature Nanoscale Ferroelectricity in Magnetoelectric GaFeO3 Epitaxial Thin Films

Abstract

We demonstrate room temperature ferroelectricity in the epitaxial thin films of magnetoelectric GaFeO3. Piezo-force measurements show a 180o phase shift of piezoresponse upon switching the electric field indicating nanoscale ferroelectricity in epitaxial thin films of gallium ferrite. Further, temperature dependent impedance analysis with and without the presence of an external magnetic field clearly reveals a pronounced magneto-dielectric effect across the magnetic transition temperature. In addition, our first principles calculations show that Fe ions are not only responsible for ferrimagnetism as observed earlier, but also give rise to the observed ferroelectricity, making GFO an unique single phase multiferroic.

15 pages, 4 main figures

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• Generalized gradient approximation for solids and their surfaces
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• Phase Stability of Multiferroic GaFeO3 up to 1368 K from In situ Neutron Diffraction
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• Investigation of Room Temperature Ferroelectricity and Ferrimagnetism in Multiferroic AlxFe2-xO3 Epitaxial Thin Films
• Spin-Phonon Coupling, High Pressure Phase Transitions and Thermal Expansion of Multiferroic GaFeO3: A Combined First Principles and Inelastic Neutron Scattering Study
• Room temperature polarization in the ferrimagnetic Ga2-xFexO3 ceramics
• Giant Ferrimagnetism and Polarization in a Mixed Metal Perovskite Metal-Organic Framework
• Room-temperature multiferroicity in GaFeO${}_3$ thin film grown on (100)Si substrate
• Heat capacity anomaly near magnetic phase transition in GaFeO${}_3$
• Electrical polarization switching in bulk single crystal GaFeO${}_3$
• Magnetic Field Tunable Capacitive Dielectric:Ionic-liquid Sandwich Composites
• Mössbauer measurements of GaFeO${}_3$ single crystal multiferroic
• Ferroelectric polarization switching with a remarkably high activation-energy in orthorhombic GaFeO3 thin films