Enhanced magnetoelectric properties in Pb(Zr,Ti)O3-CoFe2O4 layered thin films with LaNiO3 as a buffer layer

Conductive LaNiO3 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-CoFe2O4 bi-layered films were also deposited by a similar solution method. The results showed that the LaNiO3 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 LaNiO3 buffer obviously enhanced the magnetoelectric response of the Pb(Zr,Ti)O-3-CoFe2O4 bi-layered thin films.