Magnetoelectric coupling of [00l] -oriented Pb (Zr0.4 Ti0.6) O3 - Ni0.8 Zn0.2 Fe2 O4 multilayered thin films

Abstract

Multilayered thin films consisting of alternatively stacking Pb (Zr0.4 Ti0.6) O3 (PZT) and Ni0.8 Zn0.2 Fe2 O4 (NZFO) layers were fabricated to exploit a strain-mediated coupling of piezoelectricity and magnetostriction. The 450-nm -thick PZT/NZFO multilayer fabricated by pulsed laser deposition showed magnetodielectric effects upon applying a static magnetic field. The magnetoelectric (ME) susceptibility values estimated using these magnetodielectric responses were in the range of 15-30 mVcm Oe at a zero magnetic-field strength and were comparable to those obtained using a more commonly employed "dynamic" ME method. © 2007 American Institute of Physics.