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Structural, optical and vibrational properties of self-assembled Pbn+1(Ti1-x Fex)nO(3n+1)-δ Ruddlesden-Popper
K I Doig1, J J P Peters2, S Nawaz3
1University of Oxford, Department of Physics, Clarendon Laboratory, Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PU, United Kingdom.
Scientific Reports
|January 17, 2015
Summary
Ruddlesden-Popper phase Pbn+1(Ti0.5Fe0.5)nO3(n+1)-δ films exhibit multiferroic properties. These films, formed during pulsed laser deposition, show potential for ferroelectric photovoltaic applications due to their optical properties.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Solid State Physics
- Condensed Matter Physics
Background:
- Multiferroic materials exhibiting both ferroelectricity and ferromagnetism at room temperature are of significant scientific interest.
- PbTi(1-x)FexO3(-δ) (PTFO) is a known multiferroic material.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the spontaneous formation of Ruddlesden-Popper phases during pulsed laser deposition of PTFO.
- To characterize the structural, compositional, dielectric, and magnetic properties of the resulting films.
- To explore the potential applications of these materials, particularly in ferroelectric photovoltaics.
Main Methods:
- Pulsed laser deposition on LaAlO3 substrates.
- High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) for structural and compositional analysis.
- Terahertz time-domain spectroscopy, Fourier transform spectroscopy, and spectroscopic ellipsometry for dielectric function determination.
- Raman spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy, and second harmonic generation for symmetry analysis.
- SQUID magnetometry for macroscopic magnetic properties and ultrafast optical response measurements for local magnetic order and photocarrier dynamics.
Main Results:
- Spontaneous formation of the Ruddlesden-Popper phase Pbn+1(Ti(1-x)Fex)nO3(n+1)-δ with n ≃ 8 and x ≃ 0.5 was observed.
- Simultaneous Raman and infrared activity of phonon modes, along with second harmonic generation, indicates a non-centrosymmetric point group.
- No macroscopic ferromagnetism was detected by SQUID magnetometry.
- Coherent magnon oscillations and long photocarrier lifetimes were observed, suggesting local magnetic order and potential for photovoltaic applications.
Conclusions:
- The study successfully synthesized and characterized a novel Ruddlesden-Popper phase with potential multiferroic properties.
- The material exhibits characteristics favorable for ferroelectric photovoltaic applications, including an optical gap smaller than BiFeO3 and long photocarrier lifetimes.
- Further research is warranted to fully understand and harness the multiferroic and photovoltaic potential of this material system.
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