IMF2017

Bismuth ferrite (BFO) is the only multiferroic compound which shows simultaneous ferroelectric and G-type antiferromagnetic orders over a broad range of temperature making it appropriate for a variety of novel applications such as spintronics, magnetic field sensors and ultrafast optoelectronic devices. Optical properties of polar multifunctional oxides are also of great importance for possible photonic and photovoltaic applications. Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) is the most relevant technique to examine the optical properties of any material and could be easily modified for optical measurements under different ambient conditions. In this report, single phase BiFeO₃, Mn doped BiFeO₃(BFMO) and Ce doped BiFeO₃(BCFO) thin filmshave been fabricated on the surface of Au coated prism using pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique and their optical properties were studied using SPR.The refractive index dispersion with incident wavelength for all the films is also investigated. Change in optical properties of BFO, BCFO and BFMO have been determined with changing magnetic field using SPR measurements. The BFMO/Au/prism structure is found to exhibit maximum change in optical properties with magnetic field (sensitivity = 147 °/Tesla), indicating the potential of BFMO thin films for the realization of efficient optical sensor.