Fractal Dimension and Size Scaling of Domains in Thin Films of Multiferroic BiFeO3

G. Catalan, H. Béa, S. Fusil, M. Bibes, P. Paruch, A. Barthélémy, and J. F. Scott
Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 027602 – Published 15 January 2008

Abstract

Domains in ferroelectric films are usually smooth, stripelike, very thin compared with magnetic ones, and satisfy the Landau-Lifshitz-Kittel scaling law (width proportional to square root of film thickness). However, the ferroelectric domains in very thin films of multiferroic BiFeO3 have irregular domain walls characterized by a roughness exponent 0.5–0.6 and in-plane fractal Hausdorff dimension H||=1.4±0.1, and the domain size scales with an exponent 0.59±0.08 rather than 12. The domains are significantly larger than those of other ferroelectrics of the same thickness, and closer in size to those of magnetic materials, which is consistent with a strong magnetoelectric coupling at the walls. A general model is proposed for ferroelectrics, ferroelastics or ferromagnetic domains which relates the fractal dimension of the walls to domain size scaling.

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  • Received 27 July 2007

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.100.027602

©2008 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

G. Catalan1,*, H. Béa2, S. Fusil2, M. Bibes2, P. Paruch3, A. Barthélémy2, and J. F. Scott1

  • 1Centre for Ferroics, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EQ, United Kingdom
  • 2Unité Mixte de Physique CNRS/Thales, Route départementale 128, 91767 Palaiseau, and Université Paris-Sud, 91405 Orsay, France
  • 3Laboratory of Atomic and Solid State Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA

  • *gcat05@esc.cam.ac.uk

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Vol. 100, Iss. 2 — 18 January 2008

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