Magnetoelectric behavior of ferrimagnetic BixCo2−xMnO4 (x=0, 0.1 and 0.3) thin films

Abstract Thin films of BixCo2−xMnO4 (x=0, 0.1 and 0.3) were grown on quartz, LaAlO3 (LAO) and YBa2Cu3O7 (YBCO) buffer layer coated LAO substrates by pulsed laser deposition (PLD). X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman scattering measurements showed that the thin films exhibit single phase polycrystalline cubic spinel structure on all the substrates. Near edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) studies confirmed the octahedral occupancy of the substituted Bi3+ ions. Temperature dependent zero-field cooled (ZFC) magnetization measurements show the ferrimagnetic (FM) behavior (TC∼186 K) and magnetization undergoes a crossover from positive to negative, owing to the opposite contributions of magnetic moments from Co and Mn ions. A weak ferroelectric property exhibited by the films above room temperature was evidenced through the capacitance–voltage (C–V) and dielectric measurements. Magnetoelectric coupling was found to be maximum just below FM-TC.