Published online by Cambridge University Press: 31 January 2011
Highly oriented and epitaxial bilayers of PbZr0.52Ti0.48O3/La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 (PZT/LSMO) thin films have been grown by pulsed laser deposition on two different substrates (100) - MgO and -LaAlO3 (LAO) respectively. The structural analysis using X-ray diffraction (XRD) evidenced that layered structure was formed without any secondary phase. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) images shown change in the grain size and surface roughness with change of the substrate. Room temperature magnetization-field (M-H) exhibited well-shaped magnetization hysteresis loops, good saturation and low coercivity. The electrical properties of hetrostructure exhibited high remnant polarization (30-54 μC/cm2) and dielectric constant (400-1700) depending upon the different substrate and temperature deposition of FM layer. Frequency dependent change in dielectric constant and loss were observed above metallic ferromagnet to insulator paramagnet transition temperature. It is important to note that the frequency dependent dielectric anomalies are attributed to the change in metallic nature of LSMO bottom electrode and also the bilayer.