Advanced Materials, Vol.22, No.15, 1763-1763, 2010
Bulk Photovoltaic Effect at Visible Wavelength in Epitaxial Ferroelectric BiFeO3 Thin Films
Appreciable photovoltaic responses to visible light are observed in epitaxial ferroelectric BiFeO3 thin films by sputtering deposition. The photocurrent direction is opposite to the BiFeO3 polarization vector and can be switched by poling the films in different directions (see figure). The as-deposited films are strongly self-polarized, exhibiting significant photovoltaic response before any electrical poling process.