The magnetoelectric (ME) effect in M-type hexaferrite thin films is reported. Prior to this work, the ME effect in hexaferrite materials was observed only in bulk polycrystalline materials. Thin films of SrCo2Ti2Fe8O19 were grown on sapphire (0001) using pulsed laser deposition. The thin films were characterized by X-ray diffractometer, scanning electron microscope, energy-dispersive spectroscopy, vibrating sample magnetometer, and ferromagnetic resonance. We measured saturation magnetization of 1250 G, g-factor of 2.66, and coercive field of 20 Oe for these magnetoelectric M-type hexaferrite thin films. The magnetoelectric effect was confirmed by monitoring the change rate in remanence magnetization with the application of DC voltage at room temperature and it gave rise to changes in remanence in the order of 12.8% with the application of only 1 V (DC voltage). We deduced a magnetoelectric coupling, α, of 6.07 × 10−9 s m–1 in SrCo2Ti2Fe8O19 thin films.
The converse magnetoelectric effect in poly-crystalline Z-type, Sr3Co2Fe24O41, and M-type, SrCo2Ti2Fe8O19 (SCTFO), hexaferrite materials are reported. The change in remanent magnetization (Mr) for M-SCTFO sintered in oxygen and sintered in air is similar and approximately equals to ∼3% in 13 kV/cm electric field and for Z-type is ∼12% in ∼10 kV/cm electric field. The measured magnetoelectric coupling coefficient, α, values at room temperature for Z-type and M-type hexaferrites sintered in O2 were measured to be 7.6 × 10−10 sm−1 and 2.4 × 10−10 sm−1, respectively. Sintering the M-type in air reduced to 1.7 × 10−10 sm−1. As it is well known, lack of oxygen in local oxygen sites implies lower resistivity and a modified magnetic structures or state. However, in magnetoelectric hexaferrites, there is an additional effect due to lack of oxygen, and the spin spiral configuration is significantly modified to lower the induced magnetization upon the application of a DC voltage or electric field.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.