1. Strain-driven phase boundaries in BiFeO3thin films studied by atomic force microscopy and x-ray diffraction
- Author
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Wen I. Liang, Su Jien Lin, Feng Nan Chu, Chen Wei Liang, Yi-Chun Chen, Guang Fu Wang, Chun Yen Peng, Hsin Yi Lee, Heng Jui Liu, Ying-Hao Chu, Li Chang, Jan Chi Yang, and Hsiang Jung Chen
- Subjects
Phase transition ,Materials science ,Condensed matter physics ,Nanotechnology ,Condensed Matter Physics ,Epitaxy ,Polarization (waves) ,Ferroelectricity ,Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials ,Condensed Matter::Materials Science ,Phase (matter) ,X-ray crystallography ,Thin film ,Monoclinic crystal system - Abstract
We report a detailed study on the strain-driven phase transition between the tetragonal-like and rhombohedral-like phases in epitaxial BiFeO${}_{3}$ (BFO) thin films which focuses on their structural nature, thermodynamic stability, and ferroelectric/piezoelectric properties. We first show that the tetragonal-like phase, which has a large c/a ratio (\ensuremath{\sim}1.2), in the compressively strained BFO is thermodynamically more favorable at high temperature and high strain state (small thickness). We also report a phase transition between two monoclinic phases at 150 \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C. The two monoclinic phases are differentiated by their $c$-axis parameters and tilting angles: The low-temperature phase (M${}_{\mathrm{C}}$) has a $c$-axis parameter of 4.64 \AA{} and a tilting angle (\ensuremath{\beta} $=$ 88.5\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}) along the $a$ axis, while the high-temperature phase (M${}_{\mathrm{A}}$) has a $c$-axis parameter of 4.66 \AA{} and a tilting angle (\ensuremath{\beta} $=$ 86.8\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}) along both of the $a$ and $b$ axes. We further show that samples undergoing the M${}_{\mathrm{C}}$--M${}_{\mathrm{A}}$ phase transition exhibit ferroelectric polarization rotation and piezoelectric enhancement. Our findings directly unveil the close links between structural changes, polarization rotation, and large piezoelectricity at morphotropic phase boundaries in BiFeO${}_{3}$.
- Published
- 2012
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