Enhanced magnetoelectric properties in Pb(Zr,Ti)O3-CoFe2O4layered thin films with LaNiO3as a buffer layer

Conductive LaNiO 3 thin films were prepared via a simple solution method to be used as both a buffer layer and a bottom electrode layer, on which Pb(Zr,Ti)O 3 –CoFe 2 O 4 bi-layered films were also deposited by a similar solution method. The results showed that the LaNiO 3 buffer layer could induce a different preferential orientation for the Pb(Zr,Ti)O 3 layer in the composite films and thus lead to different ferroelectric behaviour. More importantly, this LaNiO 3 buffer obviously enhanced the magnetoelectric response of the Pb(Zr,Ti)O 3 –CoFe 2 O 4 bi-layered thin films.