Polarization Switching Behaviors in Multiferroic BiFeO3(001) Thin Film Capacitors under In-Plane Magnetic Field

We investigated the polarization switching behaviors of epitaxial BiFeO3(001) films under magnetic fields. The polarization switching behaviors in the BiFeO3(001) films were well described by using the Kolmogorov-Avrami-Ishibashi model and by assuming Lorentzian distribution functions of the logarithm of the characteristic switching time. These results were attributed to domain wall pinning effects, probably due to interaction between domain walls and defects or antiferromagnetic domains in the films. Finally, from the magnetic-field dependence of the polarization switching behaviors, we found that the ferroelectric and the antiferromagnetic domains in the BiFeO3(001)films were weakly coupled, leading to a shift in the polarization switching behaviors. KCI Citation Count: 3