A polar corundum oxide displaying weak ferromagnetism at room temperature

DOI: 10.1021/ja208395z

Authors: Man-Rong Li (University of Liverpool) , Umut Adem (University of Liverpool) , Sean R. C. Mcmitchell (University of Liverpool) , Zhongling Xu (University of Liverpool) , Chris I. Thomas (University of Liverpool) , John E. Warren (University of Liverpool) , Duong V. Giap (University of Liverpool) , Hongjun Niu (University of Liverpool) , Xinming Wan (University of Liverpool) , Robert G. Palgrave (University of Liverpool) , Florian Schiffmann (niversity College London) , Furio Cora (niversity College London) , Ben Slater (niversity College London) , Tim L. Burnett (National Physical Laboratory (UK)) , Markys G. Cain (National Physical Laboratory (UK)) , Artem M. Abakumov (EMAT University of Antwerp) , Gustaaf Van Tendeloo (EMAT University of Antwerp) , Michael F. Thomas (University of Liverpool) , Matthew J. Rosseinsky (University of Liverpool) , John B. Claridge (University of Liverpool)
Co-authored by industrial partner: No

Type: Journal Paper
Journal: Journal Of The American Chemical Society , VOL 134 (8) , PAGES 3737-3747

State: Published (Approved)
Published: February 2012

Abstract: Combining long-range magnetic order with polarity in the same structure is a prerequisite for the design of (magnetoelectric) multiferroic materials. There are now several demonstrated strategies to achieve this goal, but retaining magnetic order above room temperature remains a difficult target. Iron oxides in the +3 oxidation state have high magnetic ordering temperatures due to the size of the coupled moments. Here we prepare and characterize ScFeO3 (SFO), which under pressure and in strain-stabilized thin films adopts a polar variant of the corundum structure, one of the archetypal binary oxide structures. Polar corundum ScFeO3 has a weak ferromagnetic ground state below 356 K—this is in contrast to the purely antiferromagnetic ground state adopted by the well-studied ferroelectric BiFeO3.

Subject Areas: Chemistry, Physics, Materials


Instruments: I11-High Resolution Powder Diffraction

Other Facilities: ID31 at ESRF

Added On: 01/04/2012 13:22

Documents:
ja208395z.pdf

Discipline Tags:

Quantum Materials Multiferroics Physics Physical Chemistry Chemistry Magnetism Materials Science

Technical Tags:

Diffraction X-ray Powder Diffraction