Influence of strain on magnetization and magnetoelectric effect in La0.7A0.3MnO3 / PMN-PT(001) (A = Sr; Ca)

TL;DR

This study demonstrates how applying reversible biaxial strain to ferromagnetic manganite films on piezoelectric substrates significantly alters their magnetization and Curie temperature, revealing a strong magnetoelectric coupling at room temperature.

Contribution

It provides quantitative analysis of strain-induced magnetization changes and the large magnetoelectric coupling coefficient in epitaxial manganite films on piezoelectric substrates.

Findings

Strain shifts Curie temperature by up to 19 K.

Magnetoelectric coupling coefficient alpha <= 6 x 10^-8 s/m.

Enhanced magnetization change of up to 19 mT under 0.1% biaxial compression.

Abstract

We investigate the influence of a well-defined reversible biaxial strain <=0.12 % on the magnetization (M) of epitaxial ferromagnetic manganite films. M has been recorded depending on temperature, strain and magnetic field in 20 - 50 nm thick films. This is accomplished by reversibly compressing the isotropic in-plane lattice parameter of the rhombohedral piezoelectric 0.72PMN-0.28PT (001) substrates by application of an electric field E <= 12 kV cm-1. The magnitude of the total variable in-plane strain has been derived. Strain-induced shifts of the ferromagnetic Curie temperature (Tc) of up to 19 K were found in La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 (LSMO) and La0.7Ca0.3MnO3 films and are quantitatively analysed for LSMO within a cubic model. The observed large magnetoelectric coupling coefficient alpha=mu0 dM/dE <= 6 10-8 s m-1 at ambient temperature results from the strain-induced M change in the magnetic-film-ferroelectric-substrate system. It corresponds to an enhancement of mu0 DeltaM <= 19 mT upon biaxial compression of 0.1 %. The extraordinary large alpha originates from the combination of three crucial properties: (i) the strong strain dependence of M in the ferromagnetic manganites, (ii) large piezo-strain of the PMN-PT substrates and (iii) effective elastic coupling at the film-substrate interface.