%0 Journal Article
%K thin films
%K Electron energy loss spectroscopy
%K transmission electron microscopy
%K dissociation
%K Multiferroics
%K scanning transmission electron microscopy
%K Atoms
%K bismuth
%K Electronic structure
%K Highly strained
%K Atomic-resolution
%K Direct imaging
%K Fe atoms
%K R phase
%K Spontaneous polarizations
%K T-phase
%K Atomic spectroscopy
%K Electron energy levels
%K Electron scattering
%A M.D Rossell
%A R Erni
%A M.P Prange
%A J.-C Idrobo
%A W Luo
%A R.J Zeches
%A S.T Pantelides
%A Ramamoorthy Ramesh
%B Physical Review Letters
%D 2012
%G eng
%R 10.1103/PhysRevLett.108.047601
%T Atomic structure of highly strained BiFeO 3 thin films
%V 108
%X We determine the atomic structure of the pseudotetragonal T phase and the pseudorhombohedral R phase in highly strained multiferroic BiFeO 3 thin films by using a combination of atomic-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy and electron energy-loss spectroscopy. The coordination of the Fe atoms and their displacement relative to the O and Bi positions are assessed by direct imaging. These observations allow us to interpret the electronic structure data derived from electron energy-loss spectroscopy and provide evidence for the giant spontaneous polarization in strained BiFeO 3 thin films. © 2012 American Physical Society.