Magnetoelectric Fe2TeO6 thin films

J Phys Condens Matter. 2014 Feb 5;26(5):055012. doi: 10.1088/0953-8984/26/5/055012.

Abstract

We demonstrate that Fe2TeO6 is a magnetoelectric antiferromagnet with voltage-controllable boundary magnetization. This provides experimental evidence of the theoretical prediction that boundary magnetization is a universal property of magnetoelectric antiferromagnets including boundary magnetization at a surface orthogonal to the polar direction. Highly (110) textured Fe2TeO6 thin films were grown by pulsed laser deposition, terminating in Te-O at the (110) surface due to a surface reconstruction. Magnetic dc susceptibility measurements of both Fe2TeO6 powder and thin film samples confirm antiferromagnetic long-range order. Finally, measurements of x-ray magnetic circular dichroism combined with photoemission electron microscopy (XMCD-PEEM) provide a lower bound to the spin and angular magnetic moment of the surface Fe ions.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.