Reversible optical control of multiferroicity in BiFeO3 thin films

ORAL

Abstract

Nowadays, increasing technology interest has focused on the optical control of non-volatile functional units. In this work, we present the deterministic switching/modulation of the ferroelectric and (anti)ferromagnetic orders at ambient temperature through laser illumination.
With well-tuned laser illumination, the local temperature of illuminated region increases, resulting in a significant flexoelectric field at the boundaries of illuminate and non-illuminated region. The induced flexoelectric field is then adopted to modulate the local ferroelectricity of BiFeO3 thin film, generating a wide spectrum of tunable domain structures. To verify the role of flexoelectric effect, phase field simulation is processed to simulate the correlation between the as-grown and light induced domain architecture. Due to the fact that BiFeO3 thin film has its ferroelectricity coupled strongly with inherent antiferromagnetism/ferromagnetism, the optical modulation of ferroelectric order gives rise to corresponding alteration of the antiferromagnetism/ferromagnetism as well. Furthermore, we show that the domain conductivity and piezoresponse enhancement could also be turned on and off via laser illumination.

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Presenters

  • Jan-Chi Yang

    National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan

Authors

  • Yi-De Liou

    Physics, National Cheng Chung University, Physics, National Cheng Kung University, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan, Department of Physics, National Cheng Kung University

  • Yen-Lin Huang

    National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 30010, Taiwan

  • Ryan Thomas Hart

    University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX 76019, USA

  • Yuan-Chih Wu

    Physics, National Cheng Chung University, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan

  • Rajesh V Chopdekar

    University of California, Davis, Materials Science and Engineering, University of California Davis, Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA, LBNL Advanced Light Source

  • Valanoor Nagarajan

    University of New South Wales, Sydney, 2052, Australia

  • Ying-Hao Chu

    Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan; and Institute of Physics, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Chiao Tung University, National Chiao Tung University, Materials Science and Engineering, National Chiao Tung University, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 30010, Taiwan

  • Yi-Chun Chen

    Physics, National Cheng Chung University, Physics, National Cheng Kung University, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan, Department of Physics, National Cheng Kung University

  • Ye Cao

    University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX 76019, USA

  • Jan-Chi Yang

    National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan