On the Interaction of the Photovoltaic Response With Ferroelectric and Magnetic Domains: Magnetoelectric Control of the Photovoltaic Response in BiFeO ₃ Thin Films

In the search for innovative photovoltaic solutions, bismuth ferrite (BiFeO₃) has received significant attention due to the possibility of simultaneous use of its photovoltaic (PV), ferroelectric, and magnetic properties. Furthermore, the possibility of controlling photovoltaic responses through the orientation of ferroelectric and magnetic domains by external fields gives great potential to devices made up of BiFeO₃ thin films. This paper investigates PV responses of BiFeO₃-based devices under the influence of the different ferroelectric and magnetic domain orientations. We have found a strong correlation polarization/magnetization states with PV. This relation gives rise to a huge increment in photogeneration that goes up to about 7-fold higher than in pristine samples. Thus, BiFeO₃-based photovoltaic devices can be highlighted as tunable, multifunctional, and amplifiable systems by electric and magnetic stimuli.