Magnetic field-dependent polarization of (111)-oriented PZT–Co ferrite nanobilayer: Effect of Co ferrite composition

• The effect of composition of CFO on P–E characteristics of PZT/CFO films was investigated.
• The polarization of PZT films were increased by applying the magnetic field.
• The increasing polarization was a result of strain from magnetostrictive CFO underlayer.

The perfect (111)-oriented PZT/CFO (CFO=CoFe2O4, Co0.8Fe2.2O4 and Co0.6Mn0.2Fe2.2O4) bilayer multiferroic thin films were grown on Pt(111)/Si substrate at 600 °C using pulsed laser deposition technique. The precision X-ray diffraction analysis (avoiding the shift of peak due to the sample misalignment) revealed that the CFO films on Pt(111)/Si substrate were under an out-of-plane contraction and deposition of PZT top layer led to more increase in the out-of-plane contraction, i.e. increase in the residual stresses. The PZT and CFO layers have significant effects on magnetic and ferroelectric properties of PZT/CFO bilayer films, respectively, leading to an enhanced in-plane magnetic anisotropy as well as increased and asymmetric polarization. The effect of composition of CFO layer on magnetic field-dependent polarization of PZT/CFO bilayer films was investigated by applying the magnetic field during P-E measurement. The polarization of PZT films were increased by applying the magnetic field as a result of strain transferred from magnetostrictive CFO underlayer. This increase in polarization for PZT/Co0.6Mn0.2Fe2.2O4 was higher than that for PZT/Co0.8Fe2.2O4 and both of them were significantly higher than that for PZT/CoFe2O4 bilayer film, which was discussed based on their magnetostriction properties.