Flux Method Growth and Structure and Properties Characterization of Rare-Earth Iron Oxides Lu1-xScxFeO3 Single Crystals

Xu, Chengchao1,2; Li, Jun1; Tian, Huanfang1; Li, Zi-An3; Yang, Huaixin1; Li, Jianqi1,2,4

2022-06-01

10.3390/cryst12060769

CRYSTALS   Impact Factor & Quartile

2073-4352

Perovskite rare-earth ferrites (REFeO3) have attracted great attention for their high ferroelectric and magnetic transition temperatures, strong magnetoelectric coupling, and electric polarization. We report on the flux method growth of rare-earth iron oxide Lu1-xScxFeO3 single crystals through a K2CO3-B2O3-Bi2O3 mixture as a flux solution, and give a detailed characterization of the microstructure, magnetism, and ferroelectric properties. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) measurements revealed that the obtained single crystals can be designated to three different crystal structures of different chemical compositions, that is, Lu0.96Sc0.04FeO3 (perovskite phase), Lu0.67Sc0.33FeO3 (hexagonal phase), and Lu0.2Sc0.8FeO3 (bixbyite phase), respectively. Magnetic measurements indicate that the perovskite Lu0.96Sc0.04FeO3 is an anisotropic hard ferromagnetic material with a high Curie transition temperature, the bixbyite Lu0.2Sc0.8FeO3 is a low temperature soft ferromagnetic material, and the hexagonal Lu0.67Sc0.33FeO3 exhibits multiferroic properties. Lu0.67Sc0.33FeO3 possesses a weak ferromagnetic transition at about 162 K. We further investigate the ferroelectric domain structures in hexagonal sample by scanning electron microscope and the characteristic atomic structures in ferroelectric domain walls by atomically resolved scanning transmission electron microscope. Our successful growth of perovskite Lu1-xScxFeO3 single crystals with distinct crystal structures and stochiometric Lu-Sc substitutions is anticipated to provide a useful ferrites system for furthering exploitation of their multiferroic properties and functionalities.

multiferroicity solid-state reaction perovskite oxides rare-earth transition-metal oxides

SCI

English

Corresponding

Guangdong Major Scientific Research Project[2018KZDXM061] ; National Key Research and Development Program of China["2017YFA0504703","2017YFA0302904","2017YFA0303000","2016YFA0300303"] ; National Natural Science Foundation of China[11974019,11804381,12074408] ; Chinese Academy of Sciences["XDB25000000","XDB33010100"] ; Scientific Instrument Developing Project of the Chinese Academy of Sciences["YJKYYQ20200055","ZDKYYQ2017000","22017BA10"] ; Beijing Municipal Science and Technology major project[Z201100001820006] ; IOP Hundred Talents Program[Y9K5051] ; Postdoctoral Support Program of China[2020M670501] ; China Postdoctoral Science Foundation[BX20180351]

Crystallography ; Materials Science

Crystallography ; Materials Science, Multidisciplinary

WOS:000815948300001

MDPI

Web of Science

1.Chinese Acad Sci, Inst Phys, Beijing Natl Lab Condensed Matter Phys, Beijing 100190, Peoples R China
2.Univ Chinese Acad Sci, Sch Phys Sci, Beijing 100049, Peoples R China
3.Guangxi Univ, Sch Phys Sci & Technol, Nanning 530004, Peoples R China
4.Southern Univ Sci & Technol, Dept Elect & Elect Engn, Shenzhen 518055, Peoples R China

Xu, Chengchao,Li, Jun,Tian, Huanfang,et al. Flux Method Growth and Structure and Properties Characterization of Rare-Earth Iron Oxides Lu1-xScxFeO3 Single Crystals[J]. CRYSTALS,2022,12(6).

Xu, Chengchao,Li, Jun,Tian, Huanfang,Li, Zi-An,Yang, Huaixin,&Li, Jianqi.(2022).Flux Method Growth and Structure and Properties Characterization of Rare-Earth Iron Oxides Lu1-xScxFeO3 Single Crystals.CRYSTALS,12(6).

Xu, Chengchao,et al."Flux Method Growth and Structure and Properties Characterization of Rare-Earth Iron Oxides Lu1-xScxFeO3 Single Crystals".CRYSTALS 12.6(2022).