The effect of annealing atmosphere on magnetoelectric coupling of the La0.7Sr0.3MnO3/BaTiO3 layered heterostructure

The epitaxial La0.7Sr0.3MnO3/BaTiO3 (LSMO/BTO) layered heterostructure was grown on (001) oriented LaAlO3 single-ci:ystal substrate by pulsed laser deposition. Our results showed that the in-situ annealing process in oxygen made the LSMO/BTO interface possess higher oxygen content than that of the one annealing in vacuum, which leaded to the LSMO film presented higher magnetic permeability and higher saturated magnetization. The P-E hystersis loop only could be detected in the sample annealing in oxygen. The ME voltage coefficient of the LSMO/BTO heterostructure annealing in oxygen was higher than that of the one annealing in vacuum, which suggested a more effective ME coupling. It was a combined effect of the two main ME coupling mechanisms, including strain mediation, and polarized carrier mediation. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.