Work

Anionic Strategy-Modulated Magnetic Ordering in Super-elongated Multiferroic Epitaxial Films

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: The magnetic ordering of perovskite ferroelectric oxides is essential for enhancing their stability and minimizing energy losses in magnetoelectric devices. However, inducing a transition from a magnetically disordered state to an ordered one remains a formidable challenge. Here, we propose a chemical sulfurization method that significantly bolsters the magnetic ordering of multiferroic super-tetragonal phase BiFeO3 thin film, thereby enhancing the magnetic properties. The sulfured films exhibit a robust magnetic transition temperature of 586 K. The remanent magnetization increases approximately 1.6 times in the out-of-plane direction and an impressive 62 times in the in-plane direction. Additionally, the magnetic easy axis transitions from the out-of-plane to the in-plane direction. The X-ray absorption spectroscopy and atomic scale investigation reveal a reconfiguration of the local electronic hybridization states in the film. The sulfur-induced shear strain is identified as the catalyst for a shift in the Fe–O hybridization, from the pyramid-like geometry of FeO5 to the octahedral arrangement of FeO6. This transformation is deemed the root cause of the observed magnetic transition in the films. This sulfur-induced strategy for electronic hybridization reconfiguration is expected to break new ground, offering innovative methodologies for modulating perovskite oxides, two-dimensional ferroelectric films, and other ferromagnetic functional thin films.

Source: Nature Communications

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-58594-9