LAUSR

The effects of La ions substitution on the structural, magnetic, ferroelectric and leakage properties of Aurivillius Bi6−xLaxFe1.4Co0.6Ti3O18 (BLFCTO, 0 ≤ x ≤ 1) thin films are investigated. X-ray diffraction (XRD) refinement results indicate that all the samples have an orthorhombic crystal structure and the space group of B2cb. The coexistence of room-temperature ferromagnetism and ferroelectricity can be found in all the samples. Doping La ions can increase ferroelectricity magnitude and decrease leakage current. Furthermore, the energy conversion efficiency can be significantly improved from 16.0 to 53.1% due to the decrease of leakage current. The remanent magnetization 2Mr of 8.2 emu/cm3 and polarization 2Pr of 37.4 µC/cm2 are observed in the x = 0.6 sample. The changes of magnetic, ferroelectric, and leakage properties are discussed in terms of lattice distortion, grain size, oxygen vacancy and compactness. The present work provides an available way to explore room-temperature multiferroics (MFs) and optimize energy efficiency in Aurivillius compounds.