Synthesis and characterization of an n=6 Aurivillius phase incorporating magnetically active manganese, Bi7(Mn,Ti)6O21

Epitaxial films of Bi7Mn3.75Ti2.25O21 were prepared to yield a previously unsynthesized material. The superlattice phase is produced by incorporating the magnetoelectric BiMnO3 into the perovskite substructure of the ferroelectric Bi4Ti3O12, a strategy which is hoped to yield previously undiscovered multiferroic materials. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) confirm synthesis of an epitaxial n=6 Aurivillius phase. Magnetization measurements show ferromagnetic behavior with a Curie point of 55K, but electronic polarization measurements show no remanent polarization. Rutherford backscattering spectrometry indicates a channeling minimum χmin of 22%, consistent with the high density of out-of-phase domain boundaries observed by TEM.