Processing and Characterization of Multiferroic Bi-relaxors

We compare chemical solution deposition (CSD), and pulsed-laser-deposition (PLD), specimens of the new room-temperature, single-phase, multiferroic magnetoelectric, [PbFe2/3W1/3O3]x[PbZr0.53Ti0.47O3]1-x (PZTFWx ~ 0.40<x<0.20) with polarization, loss (<1%), and resistivity (typically 108 ohm.cm) equal to or superior to BiFeO3. Single phase polycrystalline multiferroics PZTFWx thin films were fabricated on platinized silicon substrate by CSD and as epitaxial single-crystal films on MgO substrate by PLD. High dielectric constants (1200- 3000), high polarization (30 - 60 micro C/cm2), weak saturation magnetization (0.48 - 4.53 emu/cm3), a broad dielectric temperature peak, high-frequency dispersion, low dielectric loss and low leakage current were observed in these materials, suggesting the family as candidates for room-temperature multiferroic devices. The ferroelectric switching in these materials can be suppressed or quenched with applied magnetic field.