Measurement of the coupling of magnetism with electricity or light irradiation in BiFeO3 using the Kerr angle

Abstract

The magneto-optical Kerr effect (MOKE) in monodomain bismuth ferrite (BiFeO3) thin films was investigated under applied electric fields and light irradiation. The field-swept MOKE measurements show that the Kerr rotation of BiFeO3 changes under applied electric fields or light irradiation. The piezoresponse force microscopy measurements found that the variation in electrical polarization at the BiFeO3 surface was similar under an applied electric field and ultraviolet irradiation, confirming that the Kerr rotation of BiFeO3 can be controlled using both electric fields and light irradiation. This paper presents a method to couple a magnetic field with an electric field or light irradiation via the Kerr angle measurements of BiFeO3, providing a concept for fabricating multifunctional devices in oxide electronics.