Simultaneous imaging of the ferromagnetic and ferroelectric structure in multiferroic heterostructures

Abstract

By measuring the spin polarization of secondary electrons and the intensity of backscattered electrons generated in a scanning electron microscope, we are able to simultaneously image the ferromagnetic domain structure of a ferromagnetic thin film and the ferroelectric domain structure of the underlying ferroelectric substrate upon which it is grown. Simultaneous imaging allows straightforward, quantitative measurements of the correlations in these complex multiferroic systems. We have successfully imaged domains in CoFe/BFO and Fe/BTO, two systems with very different ferromagnet/ferroelectric coupling mechanisms, demonstrating how this technique provides a new local probe of magneto electric/strictive effects in multiferroic heterostructures