Switchable third ScFeO3 polar ferromagnet with YMnO3-type structure

Abstract

Polar magnets are important materials in fundamental science and technology. However, the requirements for a polar nature are generally incompatible with those for magnetism, and thus there are few polar magnets. At the order and disorder boundaries of cations in ABO₃ compounds, two polar ferromagnets of ScFeO₃ with polar-corundum-type and LiNbO₃-type structures were previously prepared by high-pressure synthesis. Here, we prepared a third ScFeO₃ polar ferromagnet with an YMnO₃-type structure using a heteroepitaxial film technique and characterized its physical properties. The YMnO₃-type ScFeO₃ film on a perovskite electrode showed a ferroelectric P–E hysteresis loop with P_r ∼ 4.9 μC cm⁻². Only YMO-type ScFeO₃ has switchable polarization by the external electric field among the three ScFeO₃ polar magnets. Magnetic measurements confirmed weak ferromagnetism (T_N = 195 K), which is the highest observed in the hexagonal family.