摘要
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 BiFeO 3 . The ferroelectric and antiferromagnetic domain structure and coupling between these two order parameters in BiFeO 3 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 BiFeO 3 as a model system. © 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.