Hyun-Suk Kim | Searcharxiv

arXiv2026

Optical and magneto-optical interactions in Co-doped CeO$_2$ thin films prepared by pulsed laser deposition

Magnetically doped CeO$_2$ is a dilute magnetic semiconductor, promising for various applications in photonics, but the origin of its ferromagnetic properties is not fully understood. Here, thin films of Ce$_{1-x}$Co$_x$O$_{2-δ}$ prepared by pulsed laser deposition on MgO ($x=0.05$ and $0.10$) and oxidized Si ($x=0.20$) substrates were systematically studied by spectroscopic ellipsometry and magneto-optical spectroscopy. Both diagonal and off-diagonal permittivity-tensor elements were obtained. Diagonal spectra revealed two optical transitions between oxygen and cerium states. Off-diagonal spectra revealed two paramagnetic transitions involving cobalt ions, from which an essential influence of cobalt doping on resulting ferromagnetic properties of CeO$_2$ was inferred. The full permittivity-tensor spectra are provided for further use in prospective modelling of magneto-optical device concepts.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2021

An antisite defect mechanism for room temperature ferroelectricity in orthoferrites

Single-phase multiferroic materials that allow the coexistence of ferroelectric and magnetic ordering above room temperature are highly desirable, motivating an ongoing search for mechanisms for unconventional ferroelectricity in magnetic oxides. Here, we report an antisite defect mechanism for room temperature ferroelectricity in epitaxial thin films of yttrium orthoferrite, YFeO3, a perovskite-structured canted antiferromagnet. A combination of piezoresponse force microscopy, atomically resolved elemental mapping with aberration corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy and density functional theory calculations reveals that the presence of YFe antisite defects facilitates a non-centrosymmetric distortion promoting ferroelectricity. This mechanism is predicted to work analogously for other rare earth orthoferrites, with a dependence of the polarization on the radius of the rare earth cation. Furthermore, a vertically aligned nanocomposite consisting of pillars of a magnetoelastic oxide CoFe2O4 embedded epitaxially in the YFeO3 matrix exhibits both robust ferroelectricity and ferrimagnetism at room temperature, as well as a noticeable strain-mediated magnetoelectric coupling effect. Our work uncovers the distinctive role of antisite defects in providing a novel mechanism for ferroelectricity in a range of magnetic orthoferrites and further augments the functionality of this family of complex oxides for multiferroic applications.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗