$60^{\circ}$ and $120^{\circ}$ Domain Walls in Epitaxial BaTiO$_{3}$(111)/Co Multiferroic Heterostructures

TL;DR

This study demonstrates how ferroelectric domain patterns in BaTiO3 influence magnetic domain structures in an epitaxial Co film, revealing four types of magnetic domain walls with distinct properties.

Contribution

It introduces a method to transfer ferroelectric domain patterns to a ferromagnetic film, resulting in controllable magnetic domain wall configurations in multiferroic heterostructures.

Findings

Identification of two anisotropy configurations in magnetic stripe regions.

Observation of four distinct magnetic domain wall types with different energies and widths.

Control of magnetic domain configurations via applied magnetic fields.

Abstract

We report on domain pattern transfer from a ferroelectric BaTiO$_{\mathrm{3}}$ substrate with a $(111)$-orientation of the surface to an epitaxial Co film grown on a Pd buffer layer. Spatially modulated interfacial strain transfer from ferroelectric/ferroelastic domains and inverse magnetostriction in the ferromagnetic film induce stripe regions with a modulation of the in-plane uniaxial magnetic anisotropy direction. Using spin-polarized low energy electron microscopy, we observe the formation of two distinct anisotropy configurations between stripe regions. Moreover, through application of a magnetic field parallel or perpendicular to these stripes, head-to-head or head-to-tail magnetization configurations are initialized. This results in four distinct magnetic domain wall types associated with different energies and widths, which in turn affects whether domain pattern transfer can be achieved.