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We have studied the atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray Bragg reflections, X-ray absorption spectra (XAS) of the Pd L-edge, Scanning electron microscopey (SEM) and Raman spectra, and direct magnetoelectric tensor of Pd-substituted lead titanate and lead zirconate-titanate. A primary aim is to determine the percentage of Pd+4 and Pd+2 substitutional at the Ti-sites (we find that it is almost fully substitutional). The atomic force microscopy data uniquely reveal a surprise: both threefold vertical (polarized out-of-plane) and fourfold in-plane domain vertices. This is discussed in terms of the general rules for Voronoi patterns (Dirichlet tessellations) in two and three dimensions. At high pressures Raman soft modes are observed, as in pure lead titanate, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) indicates a nearly second-order displacive phase transition. However, two or three transitions are involved: First, there are anomalies in c/a ratio and Raman spectra at low pressures (P = 1 - 2 GPa); and second, the c/a ratio reaches unity at ca. P = 10 GPa, where a monoclinic (Mc) but metrically cubic transition occurs from the ambient tetragonal P4 mm structure in pure PbTiO3; whereas the Raman lines (forbidden in the cubic phase) remain until ca. 17 GPa, where a monoclinic-cubic transition is known in lead titanate.

This report is on magneto-electric (ME) interactions in bulk composites with coaxial fibers of nickel–zinc ferrite and PZT. The core–shell fibers of PZT and Ni1−xZnxFe2O4 (NZFO) with x = 0–0.5 were made by electrospinning. Both kinds of fibers, either with ferrite or PZT core and with diameters in the range of 1–3 μm were made. Electron and scanning probe microscopy images indicated well-formed fibers with uniform core and shell structures and defect-free interface. X-ray diffraction data for the fibers annealed at 700–900 °C did not show any impurity phases. Magnetization, magnetostriction, ferromagnetic resonance, and polarization P versus electric field E measurements confirmed the ferroic nature of the fibers. For ME measurements, the fibers were pressed into disks and rectangular platelets and then annealed at 900–1000 °C for densification. The strengths of strain-mediated ME coupling were measured by the H-induced changes in remnant polarization Pr and by low-frequency ME voltage coefficient (MEVC). The fractional change in Pr under H increased in magnitude, from +3% for disks of NFO–PZT to −82% for NZFO (x = 0.3)-PZT, and a further increase in x resulted in a decrease to a value of −3% for x = 0.5. The low-frequency MEVC measured in disks of the core–shell fibers ranged from 6 mV/cm Oe to 37 mV/cm Oe. The fractional changes in Pr and the MEVC values were an order of magnitude higher than for bulk samples containing mixed fibers with a random distribution of NZFO and PZT. The bulk composites with coaxial fibers have the potential for use as magnetic field sensors and in energy-harvesting applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We demonstrate indirect electric-field control of ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) in devices that integrate the low-loss, molecule-based, room-temperature ferrimagnet vanadium tetracyanoethylene (V[TCNE]x∼2) mechanically coupled to PMN-PT piezoelectric transducers. Upon straining the V[TCNE]x films, the FMR frequency is tuned by more than 6 times the resonant linewidth with no change in Gilbert damping for samples with α = 6.5 × 10−5. We show this tuning effect is due to a strain-dependent magnetic anisotropy in the films and find the magnetoelastic coefficient |λs| ∼ (1–4.4) ppm, backed by theoretical predictions from density-functional theory calculations and magnetoelastic theory. Noting the rapidly expanding application space for strain-tuned FMR, we define a new metric for magnetostrictive materials, magnetostrictive agility, given by the ratio of the magnetoelastic coefficient to the FMR linewidth. This agility allows for a direct comparison between magnetostrictive materials in terms of their comparative efficacy for magnetoelectric applications requiring ultra-low loss magnetic resonance modulated by strain. With this metric, we show V[TCNE]x is competitive with other magnetostrictive materials, including YIG and Terfenol-D. This combination of ultra-narrow linewidth and magnetostriction, in a system that can be directly integrated into functional devices without requiring heterogeneous integration in a thin film geometry, promises unprecedented functionality for electric-field tuned microwave devices ranging from low-power, compact filters and circulators to emerging applications in quantum information science and technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of ionic radii sizes on magnetostriction is studied in relation to structural and magnetic properties. To explore the effect of the chemical pressure, nanoparticles of rare‐earth (RE) orthoferrites, SmFeO3, DyFeO3, HoFeO3, and LuFeO3 are studied using X‐ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. Magnetic and magnetostriction measurements are also performed. In these orthoferrites, the coordination of the RE ion is eightfold, whereas the RE ionic radii are significantly different, which directly influences the structural parameters. The distortion of FeO6 octahedra is observed as a result of changing chemical pressure within the lattice. The different magnitudes of magnetostriction in RE orthoferrites can be attributed to the different degrees of distortion of FeO6 octahedra, R–O dynamics, and spin–orbit interactions in the system. The maximum value of magnetostriction (∼ 19 ppm) and magnetization at 2 K (30.64 emu/g) is demonstrated by HoFeO3. Comparison of structural parameters of the samples to their respective bulk counterparts indicated relative structural distortion in nanoparticles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present work, we have synthesized rare-earth ion modified Bi4−xRExTi2Fe0.7Co0.3O12−δ (RE = Dy, Sm, La) multiferroic compounds by the conventional solid-state route. Analysis of X-ray diffraction by Rietveld refinement confirmed the formation of a polycrystalline orthorhombic phase. The morphological features revealed a non-uniform, randomly oriented, plate-like grain structure. The peaks evident in the Raman spectra closely corresponded to those of orthorhombic Aurivillius phases. Dielectric studies and impedance measurements were carried out. Asymmetric complex impedance spectra suggested the relaxation of charge carriers belonging to the non-Debye type and controlled by a thermally activated process. Temperature-dependent AC conductivity data showed a change of slope in the vicinity of the phase transition temperature of both magnetic and electrical coupling natures. Based on the universal law and its exponent nature, one can suppose that the conduction process is governed by a small polaron hopping mechanism but significant distortion of TiO6 octahedral. The doping of the A-sites with rare-earth element ions and changes in the concentrations of Fe and Co ions located on the B-sites manifested themselves in saturated magnetic hysteresis loops, indicating competitive interactions between ferroelectric and canted antiferromagnetic spins. The magnetic order in the samples is attributed to pair-wise interactions between adjacent Fe3+–O–Fe3+, Co2+/3+–O–Co3+/2+, and Co2+/3+–O–Fe3+ ions or Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interactions among magnetic ions in the adjacent sub-lattices. As a result, enhanced magnetoelectric coefficients of 42.4 mV/cm-Oe, 30.3 mV/cm-Oe, and 21.6 mV/cm-Oe for Bi4−xDyxTi2Fe0.7Co0.3O12−δ (DBTFC), Bi4−xLaxTi2Fe0.7Co0.3O12−δ (LBTFC), and Bi4−xSmxTi2Fe0.7Co0.3O12−δ (SBTFC), respectively, have been obtained at lower magnetic fields (<3 kOe). The strong coupling of the Aurivillius compounds observed in this study is beneficial to future multiferroic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The magnetoelectric effect (ME) is an important strain mediated-phenomenon in a ferromagnetic-piezoelectric composite for a variety of sensors and signal processing devices. A bias magnetic field, in general, is essential to realize a strong ME coupling in most composites. Magnetic phases with (i) high magnetostriction for strong piezomagnetic coupling and (ii) large anisotropy field that acts as a built-in bias field are preferred so that miniature, ME composite-based devices can operate without the need for an external magnetic field. We are able to realize such a magnetic phase with a composite of (i) barium hexaferrite (BaM) with high magnetocrystalline anisotropy field and (ii) nickel ferrite (NFO) with high magnetostriction. The BNx composites, with (100 − x) wt.% of BaM and x wt.% NFO, for x = 0–100, were prepared. X-ray diffraction analysis shows that the composites did not contain any impurity phases. Scanning electron microscopy images revealed that, with an increase in NFO content, hexagonal BaM grains become prominent, leading to a large anisotropy field. The room temperature saturation magnetization showed a general increase with increasing BaM content in the composites. NFO rich composites with x ≥ 60 were found to have a large magnetostriction value of around −23 ppm, comparable to pure NFO. The anisotropy field HA of the composites, determined from magnetization and ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) measurements, increased with increasing NFO content and reached a maximum of 7.77 kOe for x = 75. The BNx composite was cut into rectangular platelets and bonded with PZT to form the bilayers. ME voltage coefficient (MEVC) measurements at low frequencies and at mechanical resonance showed strong coupling at zero bias for samples with x ≥ 33. This large in-plane HA acted as a built-in field for strong ME effects under zero external bias in the bilayers. The highest zero-bias MEVC of ~22 mV/cm Oe was obtained for BN75-PZT bilayers wherein BN75 also has the highest HA. The Bilayer of BN95-PZT showed a maximum MEVC ~992 mV/cm Oe at electromechanical resonance at 59 kHz. The use of hexaferrite–spinel ferrite composite to achieve strong zero-bias ME coupling in bilayers with PZT is significant for applications related to energy harvesting, sensors, and high frequency devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiferroic materials capable of robust magnetoelectric coupling at room temperature are currently being explored for their possible multifunctional device applications. Highly (100)-oriented Pb(Fe0.5Ta0.5)x(Zr0.53Ti0.47)1−x (PZTFTx) thin films (x = 0.2 and 0.3) with a thickness of about 300 nm were grown on La0.67Sr0.33CoO3 (LSCO)-buffered MgO 100-oriented substrates via the pulsed laser deposition method. An analysis of their X-ray diffraction patterns suggests the stabilization of the orthorhombic phase in the thin films at room temperature. Dielectric spectroscopic measurements of the metal–insulator–metal (Pt/PZTFTx/LSCO) thin-film capacitors as a function of temperature revealed a diffuse ferroelectric-to-paraelectric phase transition around Tm ~520 and 560 K for the x = 0.2 and 0.3 thin films, respectively. Well-saturated electrical hysteresis loops with large remanent (Pr) and saturation (Ps) polarizations were observed in these capacitors, which indicates the establishment of intrinsic ferroelectric ordering in the thin films at room temperature. These thin films retained ferromagnetic/ferrimagnetic ordering up to 300 K and showed saturation magnetization values of 8.3 (x = 0.2) and 6.1 (x = 0.3) emu/cm3 at room temperature. The magnetoelectric coupling constants of 2040 mV/cmOe (x = 0.2) and 850 mV/cmOe (x = 0.3), respectively, were obtained at an in-plane bias field at room temperature. The present study demonstrates that PZTFTx thin films are multiferroic at room temperature with large magnetoelectric couplings, and these materials may be suitable for use in magnetic sensors and spintronic device applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single crystal strontium and barium hexaferrites in which Al is substituted for Fe have uniaxial anisotropy fields on the order of 20-30 kOe and have magnetic excitations at 75-110 GHz. Here, we discuss results of investigations on magnetostatic forward volume waves and dielectric resonances in such ferrites. Data on the mode frequencies were utilized to characterize the ferrites in terms of saturation magnetization, anisotropy field, gyromagnetic ratio, dielectric permittivity, and dielectric and magnetic losses. A refined theory of magnetostatic forward volume waves with explicit characteristic equation for the dominant mode is presented. The estimates on the mode characteristics are in very good agreement with the data. Index Terms--Dielectric resonators, ferrites, magnetic resonance, millimeter wave measurements.

Nanofibers of Y- or W-type hexagonal ferrites and core–shell fibers of hexagonal ferrites and ferroelectric lead zirconate titanate (PZT) or barium titanate (BTO) were synthesized by electrospinning. The fibers were found to be free of impurity phases, and the core–shell structure was confirmed by electron and scanning probe microscopy. The values of magnetization of pure hexagonal ferrite fibers compared well with bulk ferrite values. The coaxial fibers showed good ferroelectric polarization, with a maximum value of 0.85 µC/cm² and 2.44 µC/cm² for fibers with BTO core–Co2W shell and PZT core–Ni2Y shell structures, respectively. The magnetization, however, was much smaller than that for bulk hexaferrites. Magneto-electric (ME) coupling strength was characterized by measuring the ME voltage coefficient (MEVC) for magnetic field-assembled films of coaxial fibers. Among the fibers with Y-type, films with Zn2Y showed a higher MEVC than films with Ni2Y, and fibers with Co2W had a higher MEVC than that of those with Zn2W. The highest MEVC of 20.3 mV/cm Oe was measured for Co2W–PZT fibers. A very large ME response was measured in all of the films, even in the absence of an external magnetic bias field. The fibers studied here have the potential for use in magnetic sensors and high-frequency device applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The magnetic structure of radio frequency sputtered amorphous oxides has been investigated by magnetization and ferromagnetic resonance techniques. Samples of Bi2O3-Fe2O3 substituted with ABO3 (AB = BaTi, PbTi, PbZr) and MeO (Me = Cu, Ca, Zn) - type compounds have been studied. As-deposited samples are paramagnetic and samples annealed at high temperatures show a ferrimagnetic character possibly due to the formation of magnetically ordered clusters. Key accomplishments of our studies are: (i) samples with nonmagnetic ABO3 show a record room temperature magnetization, (ii) films containing oxides of zinc, copper, or calcium are anisotropic amorphous magnets with a large uniaxial or planar anisotropy, (iii) the nature and composition of ordered clusters in some samples have been inferred from magnetic characterization of the films, and (iv) a similar ferrimagnetic character is observed in amorphous samples sputtered at high temperatures.

The generalization of the announced price increase problem to account for several factors is attempted. This problem involves procurement and inventory adjustment in response to price increase announcements. Other considerations include limits on, and the grace period for, purchases under old prices, and foreign exchange fluctuations, all of which have considerable bearing on inventory policy adjustment. Optimal policies are derived and their implications for management are outlined.