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Updated: Apr 10, 2026
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Visualizing Uniaxial-strain Manipulation of Antiferromagnetic Domains in Fe1+YTe Using a Spin-polarized Scanning Tunneling Microscope
Published on: March 24, 2019
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Magnetic structure and ordering of multiferroic hexagonal LuFeO_{3}.
Steven M Disseler1, Julie A Borchers1, Charles M Brooks2
1NIST Center for Neutron Research, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899, USA.
Physical Review Letters
|June 13, 2015
Summary
Hexagonal LuFeO3 films exhibit a unique magnetic structure with a ferromagnetically canted antiferromagnetic state below 155 K. This ordering, independent of film thickness, suggests potential for electric field control of magnetic properties.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Solid State Chemistry
Background:
- Hexagonal LuFeO3 (LFO) is a multiferroic material exhibiting a ferroelectric transition above 1000 K.
- Understanding the magnetic ordering in LFO thin films is crucial for exploring magnetoelectric coupling.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the magnetic structure and ordering of hexagonal LuFeO3 films grown by molecular-beam epitaxy.
- To determine the influence of film thickness on magnetic properties.
- To assess the potential for magnetoelectric coupling in these films.
Main Methods:
- Molecular-beam epitaxy (MBE) for film growth on YSZ (111) and Al2O3 (0001) substrates.
- Bulk magnetometry to measure magnetic properties.
- Neutron diffraction to determine the magnetic structure.
Main Results:
- Crystalline hexagonal LuFeO3 films exhibit long-range structural uniformity dominated by the polar P63cm phase.
- A single magnetic transition to a ferromagnetically canted antiferromagnetic state occurs below 155 K, irrespective of film thickness.
- This transition temperature is lower than previously reported for hexagonal LuFeO3 films.
Conclusions:
- The observed magnetic structure in the ferroelectric state of hexagonal LuFeO3 films is suitable for linear magnetoelectric coupling.
- Electric field control of the ferromagnetic moment is a strong possibility.
- These findings pave the way for novel spintronic and multiferroic device applications.
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