摘要：A previously unreported tetragonal phase has been discovered in a epitaxially strained GdMnO 3 thin films deposited on (001)-oriented SrTiO 3 substrates by radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering. The tetragonal axis of the films grown up to a 35 nm thickness is perpendicular to the film surface and the basal lattice parameters are imposed by the cubic structure of the substrate. Furthermore, the emergence of a spontaneous electric polarization below ~32 K points to the stabilization of an improper ferroelectric phase at low temperatures, which is not observed in bulk GdMnO 3 . This work shows how strain engineering can be used to tailor the structure and properties of strongly correlated oxides.
