Open AccessCompeting Interface and Bulk Effect–Driven Magnetoelectric Coupling in Vertically Aligned Nanocomposites
Author(s) -
Chen Aiping,
Dai Yaomin,
Eshghinejad Ahmad,
Liu Zhen,
Wang Zhongchang,
Bowlan John,
Knall Erik,
Civale Leonardo,
MacManusDriscoll Judith L.,
Taylor Antoinette J.,
Prasankumar Rohit P.,
Lookman Turab,
Li Jiangyu,
Yarotski Dmitry,
Jia Quanxi
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
advanced science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.388
H-Index - 100
ISSN - 2198-3844
DOI - 10.1002/advs.201901000
Subject(s) - coupling (piping) , materials science , nanocomposite , electrostriction , condensed matter physics , magnetostriction , stack (abstract data type) , phase (matter) , magnetic field , nanotechnology , piezoelectricity , composite material , physics , quantum mechanics , computer science , programming language
Room‐temperature magnetoelectric (ME) coupling is developed in artificial multilayers and nanocomposites composed of magnetostrictive and electrostrictive materials. While the coupling mechanisms and strengths in multilayers are widely studied, they are largely unexplored in vertically aligned nanocomposites (VANs), even though theory has predicted that VANs exhibit much larger ME coupling coefficients than multilayer structures. Here, strong transverse and longitudinal ME coupling in epitaxial BaTiO 3 :CoFe 2 O 4 VANs measured by both optical second harmonic generation and piezoresponse force microscopy under magnetic fields is reported. Phase field simulations have shown that the ME coupling strength strongly depends on the vertical interfacial area which is ultimately controlled by pillar size. The ME coupling in VANs is determined by the competition between the vertical interface coupling effect and the bulk volume conservation effect. The revealed mechanisms shed light on the physical insights of vertical interface coupling in VANs in general, which can be applied to a variety of nanocomposites with different functionalities beyond the studied ME coupling effect.