Epitaxial thin films of the multiferroic double perovskite Bi2FeCrO6 grown on (100)-oriented SrTiO3 substrates: Growth, characterization, and optimization

The influence of the deposition pressure (PO2) and substrate temperature (T-S) during the growth of Bi2FeCrO6 thin films grown by pulsed laser deposition has been investigated. It is found that the high volatility of Bi makes the deposition very difficult and that the growth of pure Bi2FeCrO6 thin films on SrTiO3 substrates is possible only in a narrow deposition parameter window. We find that the pure Bi2FeCrO6 phase is formed within a narrow window around an oxygen pressure PO2=1.2x10(-2) mbar and around a substrate temperature T-S=680 degrees C. At lower temperature or higher pressure, Bi7.38Cr0.62O12+x (also called b(*)Bi(2)O(3)) and Bi2Fe4O9/Bi-2(Fe,Cr)(4)O9+x phases are detected, while at lower pressure or higher temperature a (Fe,Cr)(3)O-4 phase forms. Some of these secondary phases are not well known and have not been previously studied. We previously reported Fe/Cr cation ordering as the probable origin of the tenfold improvement in magnetization at saturation of our Bi2FeCrO6 film, compared to BiFeO3. Here, we address the effect of the degree of cationic ordering on the magnetic properties of the Bi2FeCrO6 single phase. Polarization measurements at room temperature reveal that our Bi2FeCrO6 films have excellent ferroelectric properties with ferroelectric hysteresis loops exhibiting a remanent polarization as high as 55-60 mu C/cm(2) along the pseudocubic [001] direction.