Evidence of ferroelectricity in metastable Sm2Ti2O7 thin film
Abstract
The synthesis by the sol–gel route of metastable Sm2Ti2O7 thin film is reported. While for standard conditions of pressure and temperature, the Sm2Ti2O7 compound crystallizes in a cubic/pyrochlore structure, in the form of a thin film (grown on (110)-oriented SrTiO3 substrate), a monoclinic/layered perovskite structure is stabilized by strain effects induced by the substrate. Under these conditions, (00l)-oriented Sm2Ti2O7