Strain-gradient Mediated Local Conduction in Strained Bismuth Ferrite Films

Overview

Journal Nat Commun

Specialty Biology

Date 2019 Jun 28

PMID 31243266

Citations 7

Authors

Ming-Min Yang

Affan N Iqbal

Jonathan J P Peters

Ana M Sanchez

Marin Alexe

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

It has been recently shown that the strain gradient is able to separate the light-excited electron-hole pairs in semiconductors, but how it affects the photoelectric properties of the photo-active materials remains an open question. Here, we demonstrate the critical role of the strain gradient in mediating local photoelectric properties in the strained BiFeO thin films by systematically characterizing the local conduction with nanometre lateral resolution in both dark and illuminated conditions. Due to the giant strain gradient manifested at the morphotropic phase boundaries, the associated flexo-photovoltaic effect induces on one side an enhanced photoconduction in the R-phase, and on the other side a negative photoconductivity in the morphotropic [Formula: see text]-phase. This work offers insight and implication of the strain gradient on the electronic properties in both optoelectronic and photovoltaic devices.

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