Self-assembled growth and magnetic properties of a BiFeO3-MgFe2O4 nanocomposite prepared by pulsed laser deposition

The fabrication and magnetic properties are described for a nano-composite epitaxial thin film system consisting of perovskite phase BiFeO3 and spinel phase MgFe2O4 grown on a (001) SrTiO3 substrate by combinatorial pulsed laser deposition. The MgFe2O4 phase formed well-defined vertical pillars in a BiFeO3 matrix, and both phases were epitaxial with the substrate. The BiFeO3-MgFe2O4 composite films showed soft magnetic behavior and magnetically isotropic properties which is explained by the weak magnetoelastic effects in MgFe2O4. (C) 2013 American Institute of Physics.