%0 Journal Article
%K Thin films
%K Epitaxial growth
%K Ferroelectricity
%K Magnetization
%K Magnetoelectric coupling
%K Atomic-level engineering
%K Interfacial coupling
%K Thin-film multiferroics
%A Ramamoorthy Ramesh
%A N.A Spaldin
%B Nature Materials
%D 2007
%G eng
%P 21-29
%R 10.1038/nmat1805
%T Multiferroics: Progress and prospects in thin films
%V 6
%X Multiferroic materials, which show simultaneous ferroelectric and magnetic ordering, exhibit unusual physical properties and in turn promise new device applications as a result of the coupling between their dual order parameters. We review recent progress in the growth, characterization and understanding of thin-film multiferroics. The availability of high-quality thin-film multiferroics makes it easier to tailor their properties through epitaxial strain, atomic-level engineering of chemistry and interfacial coupling, and is a prerequisite for their incorporation into practical devices. We discuss novel device paradigms based on magnetoelectric coupling, and outline the key scientific challenges in the field. © 2007 Nature Publishing Group.