Investigation of magnetization reversal process in pinned CoFeB thin film by in-situ Lorentz TEM

Exchange bias effect has been widely employed for various magnetic devices.The experimentally reported magnitude of exchange bias field is often smaller than that predicted theoretically,which is considered to be due to the partly pinned spins of ferromagnetic layer by antiferromagnetic layer.However,mapping the distribution of pinned spins is challenging.In this work,we directly image the reverse domain nucleation and domain wall movement process in the exchange biased Co Fe B/Ir Mn bilayers by Lorentz transmission electron microscopy.From the in-situ experiments,we obtain the distribution mapping of the pinning strength,showing that only 1/6 of the ferromagnetic layer at the interface is strongly pinned by the antiferromagnetic layer.Our results prove the existence of an inhomogeneous pinning effect in exchange bias systems.     

Local leakage current behaviours of BiFeO3 films

The leakage current behaviours of polycrystalline BiFeO₃ thin films are investigated by using both conductive atomic force microscopy and current-voltage characteristic measurements. The local charge transport pathways are found to be located mainly at the grain boundaries of the films. The leakage current density can be tuned by changing the post-annealing temperature, the annealing time, the bias voltage and the light illumination, which can be used to improve the performances of the ferroelectric devices based on the BiFeO₃ films. A possible leakage mechanism is proposed to interpret the charge transports in the polycrystalline BiFeO₃ films.     

柔性磁性薄膜材料与器件研究进展

近年来,随着物联网、仿生机器人、移动式医疗健康等领域的兴起,柔性电子材料和器件受到广泛关注.基于磁性材料构建的传感器和存储器是电子器件的重要组成部分.随着柔性薄膜材料制备技术的发展,人们已经制备出高质量的柔性乃至可拉伸的磁性金属和氧化物薄膜,它们展现的不仅是更强的变形能力,还有新的物理效应与响应规律.研究结果表明,柔性磁电子器件在非接触传感、高灵敏应变探测、超分辨触觉感知等方面展现出独特的优势,具有广阔的应用前景.本文主要从柔性磁性材料的制备、物性调控规律和器件应用方面综述这一新兴领域的发展动态,并对其未来的发展趋势进行展望.     

STRUCTURE, MAGNETIC PROPERTIES AND GIANT MAGNETORESISTANCE OF YMn6Sn6-xGax (x=0-0.6) COMPOUNDS

Structure, magnetic and transport properties of YMn₆Sn_6-xGa_x (0≤x≤0.6) compounds with a HfFe₆Ge₆-type structure were investigated. It was found that the Ga substitution leads to a contraction of the unit-cell volume. A transition from an antiferromagnetic to a ferromagnetic (or ferrimagnetic) state can be observed for samples (0.1≤x≤0.2) with increasing temperature. The antiferro-ferromagnetic transition for samples with x≤0.2 can also be induced by an external field. The required field is very low, and decreases with increasing Ga concentration. More Ga concentration (x≥0.3) leads to the samples being ferromagnetic in the whole temperature range below the Curie temperature. The Ga substitution weakens the interlayer magnetic coupling between the Mn spins. Corresponding to the metamagnetic transition, a magnetoresistance as large as 32% under a field of 5 T was observed at 5 K for the sample with x=0.2.     

An investigation of phase separation by magnetic force microscopy in La0.45Sr0.55MnO3-δ(δ≈0.01)

We have found phase separation in La_0.45Sr_0.55MnO_3-δ (LSMO) by means of electron spin resonance, magnetic force microscopy (MFM) and magnetic measurements. Ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic phases can coexist at low temperatures, and ferromagnetic and paramagnetic phases coexist when the temperature lies between the Néel and Curie temperatures. The size and shape of the ferromagnetic phases (the minority phases) was first observed directly from MFM images. It is suggested that the phase separation in LSMO is not the charge segregation type, but an electroneutral type due perhaps to the nonuniform distribution of oxygen vacancies.     

Giant low-frequency magnetoelectric torque (MET) effect in polyvinylidene-fluoride (PVDF)-based MET device

A polyvinylidene-fluoride(PVDF)-based magnetoelectric torque(MET) device is designed with elastic layer sandwiched by PVDF layers, and low-frequency MET effect is carefully studied. It is found that elastic modulus and thickness of the elastic layer have great influences on magnetoelectric(ME) voltage coefficient(α_(ME)) and working range of frequency in PVDF-based MET device. The decrease of the modulus and thickness can help increase the α ME. However,it can also reduce the working range in the low frequency. By optimizing the parameters, the giant α_(ME) of 320 V/cm·Oe(1 Oe = 79.5775 A·m~(-1) at low frequency(1 Hz) can be obtained. The present results may help design PVDF-based MET low-frequency magnetic sensor with improved magnetic sensitivity in a relative large frequency range.     

Enhanced energy storage behaviors in free-standing antiferroelectric Pb(Zr_(0.95)Ti_(0.05))O_3 thin membranes

Free-standing antiferroelectric Pb(Zr_(0.95)Ti_(0.05)O_3(PZT(95/5)) thin film is fabricated on 200-nm-thick Pt foil by using pulsed laser deposition.X-ray diffraction patterns indicate that free-standing PZT(95/5) film possesses an α-axis preferred orientation.The critical electric field for the 300-nm-thick free-standing PZT(95/5) film transiting from antiferroelectric to ferroelectric phases is increased to 770 kV/cm,but its saturation polarization remains almost unchanged as compared with that of the substrate-clamped PZT(95/5) film.The energy storage density and energy efficiency of the substrate-clamped PZT(95/5) film are 6.49 J/cm~3 and 54.5%,respectively.In contrast,after removing the substrate,the energy storage density and energy efficiency of the free-standing PZT(95/5) film are enhanced up to 17.45 J/cm~3 and 67.9%,respectively.     

Fabrication,properties, and applications of flexible magnetic films

Flexible magnetic devices, i.e., magnetic devices fabricated on flexible substrates, are very attractive in applications such as detection of magnetic field in an arbitrary surface, non-contact actuators, and microwave devices, due to their stretchable, biocompatible, light-weight, portable, and low cost properties. Flexible magnetic films are essential for the realization of various functionalities of flexible magnetic devices. To give a comprehensive understanding for flexible magnetic films and related devices, recent advances in the study of flexible magnetic films are reviewed, including fabrication methods, magnetic and transport properties of flexible magnetic films, and their applications in magnetic sensors, actuators, and microwave devices. Our aim is to foster a comprehensive understanding of these films and devices. Three typical methods have been introduced to prepare the flexible magnetic films, by deposition of magnetic films on flexible substrates, by a transfer and bonding approach or by including and then removing sacrificial layers. Stretching or bending the magnetic films is a good way to apply mechanical strain to them, so that magnetic anisotropy, exchange bias, coercivity, and magnetoresistance can be effectively manipulated. Finally, a series of examples is shown to demonstrate the great potential of flexible magnetic films for future applications.     

ENHANCEMENT OF FERROMAGNETIC CLUSTER INDUCED BY MAGNETIC FIELD IN THE PHASE-SEPARATED La0.5Ca0.5MnO3

Magnetic and transport properties of La_0.5Ca_0.5MnO₃ have been investigated by measuring the magnetization and resistance in zero-field-cooled (ZFC) and field-cooled (FC) modes. Conspicuously irreversible behaviors of magnetization/resistance in the two different modes were observed below the charge ordering transition temperature (T_CO). The ZFC and FC magnetizations at 5K, as functions of the magnetic field, coincide for μ₀H≤1T. Afterwards, the ZFC magnetization tends to an approximate constant, but the FC one increases linearly with increasing field. There exists an excellent correspondence between magnetization and resistance below T_CO. All the results suggest that the ferromagnetic clusters embed in the charge-ordered matrix. The phenomenon of ferromagnetic clusters growing up easily in the FC procedure has been interpreted according to the model of thermally activated two-level system.     

Modulation of physical properties of oxide thin films by multiple fields

Recent studies of the modulation of physical properties in oxide thin films by multiple fields are reviewed.Some of the key issues and prospects of this area of study are also addressed.Oxide thin films exhibit versatile physical properties such as magnetism,ferroelectricity,piezoelectricity,metal–insulator transition(MIT),multiferroicity,colossal magnetoresistivity,switchable resistivity.More importantly,the exhibited multifunctionality can be tuned by various external fields,which has enabled demonstration of novel electronic devices.