Electronic Structure of BiFe1−xMnxO3Thin Films Investigated by X-Ray Absorption Spectroscopy

Abstract

Multiferroic polycrystalline BiFe1-xMnxO3(0≤x≤0.3) thin films have been prepared on the Pt(111)/Ti/SiO2/Si(100) substrates by pulsed laser deposition method. The influence of Mn substitution on the electronic structure and magnetic properties has been studied. X-ray diffraction spectroscopy shows that Mn substitution slightly modulates crystal structure of the BiFe1-xMnxO3system within the same structural phase. According to FeLedge X ray absorption spectroscopy, Fe ions are found to be formally trivalent for doping amountxin BiFe1-xMnxO3. The enhanced magnetization by increasing Mn content is attributed to an alternation degree of hybridization between Fe 3d-O 2pand Mn 3d-O 2porbitals, basing on the carefully examined FeLand OKedge X-ray absorption spectroscopy. The crystal structural and the electronic structural results show a causal relation between them by demonstrating intrinsic mutual dependence between respective variations.