Pillar shape modulation in epitaxial BiFeO3–CoFe2O4 vertical nanocomposite films

Self-assembled epitaxial CoFe2O4-BiFeO3 nanocomposite films, in which pillars of CoFe2O4 grow within a single crystal BiFeO3 matrix, show both ferrimagnetism and ferroelectricity. The pillars typically have a uniform cross-section, but here two methods are demonstrated to produce a width modulation during growth by pulsed laser deposition. This was achieved by growing a blocking layer of BiFeO3 to produce layers of separated pillars or pillars with constrictions, or by changing the temperature during growth to produce bowling-pin shaped pillars. Modulated nanocomposites showed changes in their magnetic anisotropy compared to nanocomposites with uniform width. The magnetic anisotropy was interpreted as a result of magnetoelastic and shape anisotropies.