Advanced Synthesis Techniques for Single-Phase Multiferroics in Thin Films

Aug 30, 2026

A review summarizes recent progress in synthesizing thin-film multiferroic and magnetoelectric heterostructures, motivated by the prospect of new materials with built-in functionalities such as electric-field control of magnetism. It focuses on routes to discover and characterize single-phase multiferroic materials, emphasizing thin-film synthesis. Advances in film growth enable high-quality samples, while epitaxial strain stabilizes metastable phases, enhances multiferroic behavior, and yields new structures, illustrated through EuTiO3 and BiFeO3 case studies.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages17

Reading Time43 min

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Introduction

Overview

Multiferroic materials systems

Multiferroics – definition

| Advanced synthesis techniques and routes to new single-phase multiferroics Lane W. Martin a, ⇑, Darrell G. Schlomb
a Department of Materials Science and Engineering and Materials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, United States b Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, United States | | | | --- | --- | --- | | a r t i c l e i n f o | | a b s t r a c t | | Article history:
Available online 27 March 2012 | | We review recent developments and advances in the synthesis of thin-ﬁlm multiferroic and magnetoelectric heterostructures. Driven by the promise of new materials with built-in useful phenomena (i.e., electric ﬁeld control offerromagnetism), extensive research has been centered on the search for and characterization of new single-phase multiferroic materials. In this review we provide a brief overview of recent developments in the synthesis of thin ﬁlm versions of these materials. Advances in modern ﬁlm growth processes have provided access to high-quality materials for in-depth study. We highlight the use of epitaxial thin-ﬁlm strain to stabilize metastable phases, drive multiferroic properties, and produce new structures and properties in materials including case studies of EuTiO3 and BiFeO3.
􀀂 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. | | Keywords:
Multiferroic
Pulsed-laser deposition
Molecular beam epitaxy
BiFeO3
EuTiO3
Magnetoelectric
Thin ﬁlms
Strain-engineering | | | 1. Introduction 1.1. Overview Complex oxides represent a broad class of materials that have a wide range of crystal structures and properties. Among them, the study of magnetic, ferroelectric, and, more recently, multiferroic properties has stimulated considerable interest. This work has been driven, in part, by the development of new thin-ﬁlm growth techniques and the access to high-quality materials that has resulted. In this review, we focus on the synthesis of thin ﬁlms of these materials and routes to control these properties with special attention to the use of epitaxial thin-ﬁlm strain. Such epitaxial strain can give rise to complex and diverse physical phenomena that result from the coupling of lattice, orbital, spin, and charge degrees of freedom. Creating novel materials is thus a critical component that enables the exploration of such fascinating phenomena. The power of advanced materials synthesis has been repeatedly demonstrated in materials science. For example, in semiconductor epitaxy, advanced thin-ﬁlm synthesis has led to not only a large range of technologies, but has also led to several Nobel prizes. Researchers in oxide and multiferroic science have taken a page out of the semiconductor lexicon and consequently, materials synthesis plays a critical role in enabling the study of such novel materials. In this article, recent advances in the synthesis of epitaxially strained multiferroic and magnetoelectric oxide materials ⇑ Corresponding author. Tel.: +1 217 244 9162; fax: +1 217 333 2736. E-mail address: [lwmartin@illinois.edu](lwmartin@illinois.edu) (L.W. Martin). (in particular systems such as EuTiO3 and BiFeO3) are reviewed. We highlight the importance of advanced synthesis techniques and the interplay between synthesis, theory, and experimental probes [2]. 1.2. Multiferroic materials systems Metal oxide materials have been the focus of much research based on the broad range of structures, properties, and exciting phenomena that are manifested in these materials [3,4]. The perovskite structure, which has the chemical formula ABO3 (e.g., CaTiO3, SrRuO3, BiFeO3) (Fig. 1), is made up of corner-sharing octahedra with the A-cation coordinated with twelve oxygen ions and the B-cation with six. The structure can easily accommodate a wide range of valence states on both the A-and B-sites (i.e., A+1B+5O3, A+2B+4O3, A+3B+3O3) and can exhibit complex defect chemistry (including accommodation of a few

FAQs

What is the main goal of the review?

To summarize recent developments and advances in synthesizing thin-film multiferroic and magnetoelectric heterostructures, with emphasis on routes to single-phase multiferroic materials.

How does epitaxial thin-film strain contribute to multiferroic properties?

Epitaxial strain can stabilize metastable phases, drive multiferroic properties, and create new structures and properties in materials such as EuTiO3 and BiFeO3.

What defines a single-phase multiferroic material in the review?

It simultaneously possesses two or more ferroic order parameters, such as ferroelectricity, ferromagnetism, and/or ferroelasticity, including extensions to relevant antiferroic cases.

Aug 30, 2026

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