In-situ Straining of Epitaxial Freestanding Ferroic Films by a MEMS Device

Abstract

Mechanical strain can be used to control physical properties in materials. The experimental investigation of strain-induced effects at the nanoscale is of importance not only for its fundamental aspects, but also for the development of device applications. Transmission X-ray microscopy is a particularly well-suited technique for nanoscale imaging of magnetic materials, but its compatibility with in-situ mechanical straining of samples is limited. In this work, we present a setup for applying tailored in-situ mechanical strains to freestanding thin films by means of a micro electromechanical system (MEMS) actuator. We then present a proof-of-concept experiment in which a freestanding 80 nm thick (001) BiFeO3 multiferroic thin film is strained with the MEMS device, allowing us to control the coupled ferroelectric/spin cycloidal configuration.