Controlling magnetism with multiferroics

Multiferroics, materials combining multiple order parameters, offer an exciting way of coupling phenomena such as electronic and magnetic order. Using epitaxial growth and heteroepitaxy, researchers have grown high-quality thin films and heterostructures of the multiferroic BiFeO3. The ferroelectric and antiferromagnetic domain structure and coupling between these two order parameters in BiFeO3 is now being studied. We describe the evolution of our understanding of the connection between structure, properties, and new functionalities (including electrical control of magnetism) using BiFeO3 as a model system. © 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.