Browsing by Author "Liu, Heng-Jui"

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A Metal-Insulator Transition of the Buried MnO2 Monolayer in Complex Oxide Heterostructure
(2016-11-02)
Liu, Heng-Jui
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Lin, Jheng-Cyuan
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Fang, Yue-Wen
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Wang, Jing-Ching
;
Huang, Bo-Chao
A novel artificially created MnO2 monolayer system is demonstrated in atomically controlled epitaxial perovskite heterostructures. With careful design of different electrostatic boundary conditions, a magnetic transition as well as a metal-insulator transition of the MnO2 monolayer is unveiled, providing a fundamental understanding of dimensionality-confined strongly correlated electron systems and a direction to design new electronic devices.
A Strain-Driven Antiferroelectric-to-Ferroelectric Phase Transition in La-Doped BiFeO3 Thin Films on Si
(2017-09-01)
Chen, Deyang
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Nelson, Christopher T.
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Zhu, Xiaohong
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Serrao, Claudy R.
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Clarkson, James D.
A strain-driven orthorhombic (O) to rhombohedral (R) phase transition is reported in La-doped BiFeO3 thin films on silicon substrates. Biaxial compressive epitaxial strain is found to stabilize the rhombohedral phase at La concentrations beyond the morphotropic phase boundary (MPB). By tailoring the residual strain with film thickness, we demonstrate a mixed O/R phase structure consisting of O phase domains measuring tens of nanometers wide within a predominant R phase matrix. A combination of piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), polarization electric field hysteresis loop (P-E loop), and polarization maps reveal that the O-R structural change is an antiferroelectric to ferroelectric (AFE-FE) phase transition. Using scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), an atomically sharp O/R MPB is observed. Moreover, X-ray absorption spectra (XAS) and X-ray linear dichroism (XLD) measurements reveal a change in the antiferromagnetic axis orientation from out of plane (R-phaSe) to in plane (O-p hase). These findings provide direct evidence of spin-charge-lattice coupling in La-doped BiFeO3 thin films. Furthermore, this study opens a new pathway to drive the AFE-FE O-R phase transition and provides a route to study the O/R MPB in these films.
Anisotropic superconductivity induced by periodic multiferroic domain patterns
(2019-12-06)
Huang, Yen-Lin
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Huang, Bo-Chao
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Wang, Yan-Ting
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Xue, Fei
;
Lin, Jheng-Cyuan
The competition between order parameters, such as ferroelectricity, ferromagnetism, and superconductivity, is one of the most fascinating topics in condensed matter physics. Here, we report intriguing anisotropic superconductivity in YBa2Cu3O7-x films induced by a multiferroic, BiFeO3, with periodic domain patterns. The anisotropic superconductivity was investigated by transport measurements and supported by phase-field simulations, and then the detailed local electronic structures were revealed by cross-sectional scanning tunneling microscopy. We found that the oxygen redistribution in YBa2Cu3O7-x modulated by the ferroelectric polarization in BiFeO3 was the key mechanism driving this anisotropic superconductivity. The presented heteroarchitecture of a high-temperature superconductor and a domain-engineered multiferroic provides a new approach to tune superconductivity and offers potential advantages for the design of future multifunctional devices.
Anomalous Electronic Anisotropy Triggered by Ferroelastic Coupling in Multiferroic Heterostructures
(2016-02-03)
Ju, Changcheng
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Yang, Jan-Chi
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Luo, Cheng
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Shafer, Padraic
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Liu, Heng-Jui
Antiferromagnetic Interfacial Coupling and Giant Magnetic Hysteresis in La0.5Ca0.5MnO3-SrRuO3 Superlattices
(2018-10-01)
Kumar, Vandrangi Suresh
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Zhou, Shu-Liang
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Liu, Rui-Rui
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Zhu, Yuan-Min
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Liu, Heng-Jui
Superlattices are of great importance due to their potential as new materials genome to synthesize new functional materials. Thus, tuning of the ground state of superlattices is crucial to further control their physical properties. In this study, superlattices (SLs) consisting of alternating layers of SrRuO3 (SRO) (5 nm) and La0.5Ca0.5MnO3 (LCMO) (5 nm) are epitaxially grown on SrTiO3 (STO) and LaAlO3 (LAO) substrates with 10-unit-cell periods. A variation in the substrate-induced-strain for this choice of SLs triggers observation of remarkable properties, such as magnetic anisotropy and large magnetic hysteresis. The strain states experienced by LCMO and SRO in these SLs result in strong ferromagnetic interlayer coupling and weak antiferromagnetic interlayer coupling at low temperatures in SLs of LCMO-SRO/STO and a strong antiferromagnetic interlayer coupling in SLs of LCMO-SRO/LAO. Besides, a large magnetic hysteresis resulting from the predominant magnetic anisotropy of SRO together with the strength of magnetic coupling is observed in SLs of LCMO-SRO/LAO along the out-of-plane direction of the LAO substrate. These four different magnetic behaviors along four different directions of substrate orientations are interpreted in terms of preferential orbital occupation and competing magnetic exchange coupling together with magnetic anisotropy. This study demonstrates the subtleties in controlling the strength of magnetic coupling at the interface and stands as a model system to realize fascinating magnetic phenomena in layer-by-layer hetero-epitaxial oxide films.
Atomic mechanism of polarization-controlled surface reconstruction in ferroelectric thin films
(2016-04-01)
Gao, Peng
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Liu, Heng-Jui
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Huang, Yen-Lin
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Chu, Ying-Hao
;
Ishikawa, Ryo
At the ferroelectric surface, the broken translational symmetry induced bound charge should significantly alter the local atomic configurations. Experimentally revealing the atomic structure of ferroelectric surface, however, is very challenging due to the strong spatial variety between nano-sized domains, and strong interactions between the polarization and other structural parameters. Here, we study surface structures of Pb(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O-3 thin film by using the annular bright-field imaging. We find that six atomic layers with suppressed polarization and a charged 180 degrees domain wall are at negatively poled surfaces, no reconstruction exists at positively poled surfaces, and seven atomic layers with suppressed polarization and a charged 90 degrees domain wall exist at nominally neutral surfaces in ferroelastic domains. Our results provide critical insights into engineering ferroelectric thin films, fine grain ceramics and surface chemistry devices. The state-of-the-art methodology demonstrated here can greatly advance our understanding of surface science for oxides.
Atomic-scale mechanism of internal structural relaxation screening at polar interfaces
(2018-05-25)
Li, Mingqiang
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Cheng, Xiaoxing
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Li, Ning
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Liu, Heng-Jui
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Huang, Yen-Lin
The effective screening of the polarization bound charge is a prerequisite to stabilize the ferroelectricity in ferroelectric thin films. Here, by combining annular bright field imaging and electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) in an aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscope with phase-field simulations, we investigate the screening mechanism by quantitatively measuring the structural relaxation at Pb(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O-3/SrTiO3 interfaces. We find that the thickness of the interfacial layer is similar to 3.5 unit cells (similar to 1.4 nm) in a domain with upward polarization and similar to 5.5 unit cells (similar to 2.2 nm) in a domain with downward polarization. Phase-field simulations, an EELS analysis, and a lattice parameter analysis verify the existence of interfacial oxygen vacancies accounting for the narrower interfacial layer in the domain with upward polarization. Our study indicates the internal structural relaxation at the interface is the dominant mechanism for the polarization charge screening for ferroelectric films grown on insulating substrates and has implications for our understanding of domain switching in ferroelectric devices.
Complex Oxide-Noble Metal Conjugated Nanoparticles
(2013-04-11)
Guo, Jun-Ling
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Chiou, Yao-De
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Liang, Wen-I
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Liu, Heng-Jui
;
Chen, Ying-Jiun
Hybrid nanoparticles (NPs) composed of multiple components offer new opportunities for next-generation materials. In this study, a paradigm for the noble metal/ternary complex oxide hybrid NPs is reported by adopting pulsed laser ablation in liquids. As model hybrids, gold-spinel heterodimer (Au-CoFe2O4) and gold-pervoskite heterodimer (Au-SrTiO3) NPs are investigated. This work has demonstrated the diverse playgroup of NP conjugation enlarged by complex oxides.
Crossover between superconductivity and magnetism in SrRuO3 mesocrystal embedded YBa2Cu3O7-x heterostructures
(2016)
Suresh, Vandrangi
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Lin, Jheng-Cyuan
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Liu, Heng-Jui
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Zhang, Zaoli
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Chiang, Ping-Chih
The competition between superconductivity and ferromagnetism poses great challenges and has attracted renewed interest for applications in novel spintronic devices. In order to emphasize their interactions, we fabricated a heterostructure composed of superconducting YBa2Cu3O7-delta (YBCO) film embedded with itinerant ferromagnetic SrRuO3 (SRO) mesocrystals. Starting from a doping concentration of 10 vol% of SRO mesocrystal in a YBCO matrix, corresponding to the density of SRO nanocrystals similar to 5 x 10(9) cm(-2), which exhibits the typical characteristic of a metal-superconductor transition, and then increasing the magnetic interactions as a function of SRO embedment, the electronic correlation and the interplay between superconductivity and magnetism throughout the temperature regime were investigated. A metal-insulator transition in the normal state of YBCO and a crossover between superconductivity and magnetism at low temperatures were found upon increasing the density of nano-size SRO crystallites in the YBCO matrix as a consequence of competing interactions between these two ordered phases.
Deterministic optical control of room temperature multiferroicity in BiFeO3 thin films
(2019-06-01)
Liou, Yi-De
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Chiu, Yu-You
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Hart, Ryan Thomas
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Kuo, Chang-Yang
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Huang, Yen-Lin
Controlling ferroic orders (ferroelectricity, ferromagnetism and ferroelasticity) by optical methods is a significant challenge due to the large mismatch in energy scales between the order parameter coupling strengths and the incident photons. Here, we demonstrate an approach to manipulate multiple ferroic orders in an epitaxial mixed-phase BiFeO3 thin film at ambient temperature via laser illumination. Phase-field simulations indicate that a light-driven flexoelectric effect allows the targeted formation of ordered domains. We also achieved precise sequential laser writing and erasure of different domain patterns, which demonstrates a deterministic optical control of multiferroicity at room temperature. As ferroic orders directly influence susceptibility and conductivity in complex materials, our results not only shed light on the optical control of multiple functionalities, but also suggest possible developments for optoelectronics and related applications.
Direct observation of weakened interface clamping effect enabled ferroelastic domain switching
(2019-06-01)
Li, Mingqiang
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Wang, Bo
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Liu, Heng-Jui
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Huang, Yen-Lin
;
Zhang, Jingmin
Reversible switching of non-180 degrees ferroelastic domains that largely alters the local strain distribution enables many electromechanical, electromagnetic and electroacoustic applications. However, in thin films, the ferroelastic domain walls are usually believed to be immobile because of the interface clamping and/or dislocation pinning. Here, using in situ and aberration-corrected transmission electron microscopy, we directly observe reversible switching of individual 90 degrees domains in dislocation-free PbTiO3 thin films and uncover the weakened interface clamping effect. We find the tetragonality is suppressed to similar to 1.017 while the polarization vectors rotate 45 degrees in the a-domain near the interface. These huge structural distortions at the interface is mainly responsible for the weakened clamping effect and thus the ability to switch ferroelastic domains. The switching is fully reversible (i.e., either electric field or mechanical stress can re-establish the erased domain) regardless of polarization orientation of the c-domain matrix. Phase-field modeling also shows excellent agreement with experimental observations. Our study reveals the mechanism of controllable and reversible ferroelastic domain switching, enabling the design of new actuators, sensors, and electromagnetic devices. (C) 2019 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Electrically enhanced magnetization in highly strained BiFeO3 films
(2016-05)
Yang, Jan-Chi
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Kuo, Chang-Yang
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Liu, Heng-Jui
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Ding, Hang-Chen
;
Duan, Chun-Gang
The control of magnetism via an electric field has attracted substantial attention because of potential applications in magnetoelectronics, spintronics and high-frequency devices. In this study, we demonstrate a new approach to enhance and control the magnetization of multiferroic thin film by an electric stimulus. First, to reduce the strength of the antiferromagnetic superexchange interaction in BiFeO3, we applied strain engineering to stabilize a highly strained phase. Second, the direction of the ferroelectric polarization was controlled by an electric field to enhance the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction in the highly strained BiFeO3 phase. Because of the magnetoelectric coupling in BiFeO3, a strong correlation between the modulated ferroelectricity and enhanced magnetization was observed. The tunability of this strong correlation by an electric field provides an intriguing route to control ferromagnetism in a single-phase multiferroic.
Enhanced Structural and Magnetic Coupling in a Mesocrystal-Assisted Nanocomposite
(2016-01-20)
Zhu, Yuanmin
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Zhan, Qian
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Yang, Jan-Chi
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Bitla, Yugandhar
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Liu, Pingping
Benefiting from the advances made in well-controlled materials synthesis techniques, nanocomposites have drawn considerable attention due to their enthralling physics and functionalities. In this work, we report a new heteroepitaxial mesocrystalperovskite nanocomposite, (NiFe2O4)(0.33):(La0.67Ca0.33MnO3)(0.67). Elaborate structural studies revealed that tiny NiFe2O4 nanocrystals aggregate into ordered octahedral mesocrystal arrays with {111} facets together with a concomitant structural phase transition of the La0.67Ca0.33MnO3 matrix upon postannealing process. Combined magnetic and X-ray absorption spectroscopic measurements show significant enhancement in the magnetic properties at room temperature due to the structural evolution of magnetic NiFe2O4 and the consequent magnetic coupling at the heterointerfaces mediating via well connected octahedrons of Mn-O-6 in La0.67Ca0.33MnO3 and (Ni,Fe)-O-6 in NiFe2O4. This work demonstrates an approach to manipulate the exciting physical properties of material systems by integrating desired functionalities of the constituents via synthesis of a self-assembled mesocrystal embedded nanocomposite system.
Epitaxial Photostriction-Magnetostriction Coupled Self-Assembled Nanostructures
(2012-08-01)
Liu, Heng-Jui
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Chen, Long-Yi
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He, Qing
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Liang, Chen-Wei
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Chen, Yu-Ze
Self-assembled vertical nanostructures take advantage of high interface-to-volume ratio and can be used to design new functionalities by the choice of a proper combination of constituents. However, most of the studies to date have emphasized the functional controllability of the nanostructures using external electric or magnetic fields. In this study, to introduce light (or photons) as an external control parameter in a self-assembled nanostructure system, we have successfully synthesized oxide nanostructures with CoFe2O4 nanopillars embedded in a SrRuO3 matrix. The combination of photostrictive SrRuO3 and magnetostrictive CoFe2O4 in the intimately assembled nanostructures leads to a light-induced, ultrafast change in magnetization of the CoFe2O4 nanopillars. Our work demonstrates a novel concept on oxide nanostructure design and opens an alternative pathway for the explorations of diverse functionalities in heteroepitaxial self-assembled oxide nanostructures.
Ferroelectric Control of the Conduction at the LaAlO3/SrTiO3 Heterointerface
(2013-06-25)
Vu Thanh Tra
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Chen, Jhih-Wei
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Huang, Po-Cheng
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Huang, Bo-Chao
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Cao, Ye
Flexible ferroelectric element based on van der Waals heteroepitaxy
(2017-06-01)
Jiang, Jie
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Bitla, Yugandhar
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Huang, Chun-Wei
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Thi Hien Do
;
Liu, Heng-Jui
We present a promising technology for nonvolatile flexible electronic devices: A direct fabrication of epitaxial lead zirconium titanate (PZT) on flexible mica substrate via van der Waals epitaxy. These single-crystalline flexible ferroelectric PZT films not only retain their performance, reliability, and thermal stability comparable to those on rigid counterparts in tests of nonvolatile memory elements but also exhibit remarkable mechanical properties with robust operation in bent states (bending radii down to 2.5 mm) and cycling tests (1000 times). This study marks the technological advancement toward realizing much-awaited flexible yet single-crystalline nonvolatile electronic devices for the design and development of flexible, lightweight, and next-generation smart devices with potential applications in electronics, robotics, automotive, health care, industrial, and military systems.
Flexible Heteroepitaxy of CoFe2O4/Muscovite Bimorph with Large Magnetostriction
(2017-03-01)
Liu, Heng-Jui
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Wang, Chih-Kuo
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Su, Dong
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Amrillah, Tahta
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Hsieh, Ying-Hui
A bimorph composed of ferrimagnetic cobalt ferrite (CoFe2O4, CFO) and flexible muscovite was fabricated via van der Waals epitaxy. The combination of X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy was conducted to reveal the heteroepitaxy of the CFO/muscovite system. The robust magnetic behaviors against mechanical bending were characterized by hysteresis measurements and magnetic force microscopy, which maintain a saturation magnetization (M-s) of similar to 120-150 emu/cm(3) under different bending states. The large magnetostrictive response of the CFO film was then determined by digital holographic microscopy, where the difference of magnetostrction coefficient (Delta lambda) is -104 ppm. The superior performance of this bimorph is attributed to the nature of weak interaction between film and substrate. Such a flexible CFO/muscovite bimorph provides a new platform to develop next-generation flexible magnetic devices.
Flexible Multiferroic Bulk Heterojunction with Giant Magnetoelectric Coupling via van der Waals Epitaxy
(2017-06-01)
Amrillah, Tahta
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Bitla, Yugandhar
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Shin, Kwangwoo
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Yang, Tiannan
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Hsieh, Ying-Hui
Magnetoelectric nanocomposites have been a topic of intense research due to their profound potential in the applications of electronic devices based on spintronic technology. Nevertheless, in spite of significant progress made in the growth of high-quality nanocomposite thin films, the substrate damping effect still remains a major hurdle in realizing the ultimate magneto electric coupling. To overcome this obstacle, an alternative strategy of fabricating a self-assembled ferroelectric-ferrimagnetic bulk heterojunction on a flexible muscovite via van der Waals epitaxy is adopted. hi this study, we investigated the magnetoelectric coupling in a self-assembled BiFeO3 (BFO)-CoFe2O4 (CFO) bulk heterojunction epitaxially grown on a flexible muscovite substrate. The obtained heterojunction is composed of vertically aligned multiferroic BFO nanopillars embedded in a ferrimagnetic CFO matrix. Moreover, due to the weak interaction between the flexible substrate and bulk heterojunction, the interface is incoherent and, hence, the substrate damping effect is greatly reduced. The phase-field simulation model also complements our results. The magnetic and electrical characterizations highlight the improvement in magnetoelectric coupling of the BFO-CFO bulk heterojunction. A magnetoelectric coupling coefficient of 74 mV/cm.Oe of this bulk heterojunction is larger than the magnetoelectric coefficient reported earlier on flexible substrates. Therefore, this study delivers a viable route of fabricating a remarkable magnetoelectric heterojunction and yet flexible electronic devices that are robust against extreme conditions with optimized performance.
Giant Enhancement of Ferroelectric Retention in BiFeO3 Mixed-Phase Boundary
(2014-09-24)
Huang, Yen-Chin
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Liu, Yunya
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Lin, Yi-Tsu
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Liu, Heng-Jui
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He, Qing
A large enhancement of nanodomain retentionis shown in the mixed-phase region of a strained BiFeO3 epitaxial film. The superior ferroelectric retention is attributed to a lower elastic-energy density at the phase boundaries, which act as periodic pinning centers for the domain wall motion. This study delivers a new pathway of incorporating an elastic-energy term to assist ferroelectric retention.
Giant Photoresponse in Quantized SrRuO3 Monolayer at Oxide Interfaces
(2018-03-01)
Liu, Heng-Jui
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Wang, Jing-Ching
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Cho, Deok-Yong
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Ho, Kang-Ting
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Lin, Jheng-Cyuan
The photoelectric effect in semiconductors is the main mechanism for most modern optoelectronic devices, in which the adequate bandgap plays the key role for acquiring high photoresponse. Among numerous material categories applied in this field, the complex oxides exhibit great possibilities because they present a wide distribution of band gaps for absorbing light with any wavelength. Their physical properties and lattice structures are always strongly coupled and sensitive to light illumination. Moreover, the confinement of dimensionality of the complex oxides in the heterostructures can provide more diversities in designing and modulating the band structures. On the basis of this perspective, we have chosen itinerary ferromagnetic SrRuO3 as the model material, and fabricated it in one-unit-cell thickness in order to open a small band gap for effective utilization of visible light. By inserting this SrRuO3 monolayer at the interface of the well-developed two-dimensional electron gas system (LaAlO3/SrTiO3), the resistance of the monolayer can be further revealed. In addition, a giant enhancement (>300%) of photoresponse under illumination of visible light with power density of 500 mW/cm(2) is also observed. Such can be ascribed to the further modulation of band structure of the SrRuO3 monolayer under the illumination, confirmed by cross-section scanning tunneling microscopy (XSTM). Therefore, this study demonstrates a simple route to design and explore the potential low dimensional oxide materials for future optoelectronic devices.