Revealing the flexoelectricity in the mixed-phase regions of epitaxial BiFeO3 thin films

Cheng En Cheng; Heng Jui Liu; Franco Dinelli; Yi Chun Chen; Chen Shiung Chang; Forest Shih Sen Chien; Ying Hao Chu

doi:10.1038/srep08091

Revealing the flexoelectricity in the mixed-phase regions of epitaxial BiFeO₃ thin films

Cheng En Cheng, Heng Jui Liu, Franco Dinelli, Yi Chun Chen, Chen Shiung Chang, Forest Shih Sen Chien, Ying Hao Chu

Department of Physics

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

30 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Understanding the elastic response on the nanoscale phase boundaries of multiferroics is an essential issue in order to explain their exotic behaviour. Mixed-phase BiFeO₃ films, epitaxially grown on LaAlO₃ (001) substrates, have been investigated by means of scanning probe microscopy to characterize the elastic and piezoelectric responses in the mixed-phase region of rhombohedral-like monoclinic (M_I) and tilted tetragonal-like monoclinic (M_II,tilt) phases. Ultrasonic force microscopy reveal that the regions with low/high stiffness values topologically coincide with the M_I/M_II,tilt phases. X-ray diffraction strain analysis confirms that the M_I phase is more compliant than the M_II,tilt one. Significantly, the correlation between elastic modulation and piezoresponse across the mixed-phase regions manifests that the flexoelectric effect results in the enhancement of the piezoresponse at the phase boundaries and in the M_I regions. This accounts for the giant electromechanical effect in strained mixed-phase BiFeO₃ films.

Original language	English
Article number	8091
Journal	Scientific reports
Volume	5
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/srep08091
Publication status	Published - 2015 Jan 28

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title = "Revealing the flexoelectricity in the mixed-phase regions of epitaxial BiFeO3 thin films",

abstract = "Understanding the elastic response on the nanoscale phase boundaries of multiferroics is an essential issue in order to explain their exotic behaviour. Mixed-phase BiFeO3 films, epitaxially grown on LaAlO3 (001) substrates, have been investigated by means of scanning probe microscopy to characterize the elastic and piezoelectric responses in the mixed-phase region of rhombohedral-like monoclinic (MI) and tilted tetragonal-like monoclinic (MII,tilt) phases. Ultrasonic force microscopy reveal that the regions with low/high stiffness values topologically coincide with the MI/MII,tilt phases. X-ray diffraction strain analysis confirms that the MI phase is more compliant than the MII,tilt one. Significantly, the correlation between elastic modulation and piezoresponse across the mixed-phase regions manifests that the flexoelectric effect results in the enhancement of the piezoresponse at the phase boundaries and in the MI regions. This accounts for the giant electromechanical effect in strained mixed-phase BiFeO3 films.",

author = "Cheng, {Cheng En} and Liu, {Heng Jui} and Franco Dinelli and Chen, {Yi Chun} and Chang, {Chen Shiung} and Chien, {Forest Shih Sen} and Chu, {Ying Hao}",

note = "Funding Information: This work is supported by Ministry of Science and Technology of Taiwan (Grant NO. MOST 102-2112-M-029-005-MY3), and National Chiao Tung University (2013 NCTU Short-term Research Program Scholarship). The authors would like to thank Dr. P. Pinque of NEST, Istituto Nanoscienze-CNR and Scuola Normale Superiore for his kindly support.",

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T1 - Revealing the flexoelectricity in the mixed-phase regions of epitaxial BiFeO3 thin films

AU - Cheng, Cheng En

AU - Liu, Heng Jui

AU - Dinelli, Franco

AU - Chen, Yi Chun

AU - Chang, Chen Shiung

AU - Chien, Forest Shih Sen

AU - Chu, Ying Hao

N1 - Funding Information: This work is supported by Ministry of Science and Technology of Taiwan (Grant NO. MOST 102-2112-M-029-005-MY3), and National Chiao Tung University (2013 NCTU Short-term Research Program Scholarship). The authors would like to thank Dr. P. Pinque of NEST, Istituto Nanoscienze-CNR and Scuola Normale Superiore for his kindly support.

PY - 2015/1/28

Y1 - 2015/1/28

N2 - Understanding the elastic response on the nanoscale phase boundaries of multiferroics is an essential issue in order to explain their exotic behaviour. Mixed-phase BiFeO3 films, epitaxially grown on LaAlO3 (001) substrates, have been investigated by means of scanning probe microscopy to characterize the elastic and piezoelectric responses in the mixed-phase region of rhombohedral-like monoclinic (MI) and tilted tetragonal-like monoclinic (MII,tilt) phases. Ultrasonic force microscopy reveal that the regions with low/high stiffness values topologically coincide with the MI/MII,tilt phases. X-ray diffraction strain analysis confirms that the MI phase is more compliant than the MII,tilt one. Significantly, the correlation between elastic modulation and piezoresponse across the mixed-phase regions manifests that the flexoelectric effect results in the enhancement of the piezoresponse at the phase boundaries and in the MI regions. This accounts for the giant electromechanical effect in strained mixed-phase BiFeO3 films.

AB - Understanding the elastic response on the nanoscale phase boundaries of multiferroics is an essential issue in order to explain their exotic behaviour. Mixed-phase BiFeO3 films, epitaxially grown on LaAlO3 (001) substrates, have been investigated by means of scanning probe microscopy to characterize the elastic and piezoelectric responses in the mixed-phase region of rhombohedral-like monoclinic (MI) and tilted tetragonal-like monoclinic (MII,tilt) phases. Ultrasonic force microscopy reveal that the regions with low/high stiffness values topologically coincide with the MI/MII,tilt phases. X-ray diffraction strain analysis confirms that the MI phase is more compliant than the MII,tilt one. Significantly, the correlation between elastic modulation and piezoresponse across the mixed-phase regions manifests that the flexoelectric effect results in the enhancement of the piezoresponse at the phase boundaries and in the MI regions. This accounts for the giant electromechanical effect in strained mixed-phase BiFeO3 films.

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Revealing the flexoelectricity in the mixed-phase regions of epitaxial BiFeO₃ thin films

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