high resolution transmission electron microscopy and high angle annular dark - field scanning transmission electron microscopy were employed to investigate the microstructure and the epitaxial growth of the structures . room temperature ferroelectric and ferrimagnetic domains of the heterostructures were imaged by piezoresponse force microscopy ( pfm ) and magnetic force microscopy ( mfm ) , respectively . pfm and mfm investigations proved that the hybrid epitaxial nanostructures show ferroelectric and magnetic order at room temperature . dielectric effects occurring after repeated switching of the polarization in large planar capacitors , comprising ferrimagnetic nife2o4 dots embedded in ferroelectric pbzr0.52ti0.48o3 matrix , were studied . these hybrid multiferroic structures with clean and well defined epitaxial interfaces hold promise for reliable investigations of magnetoelectric coupling between the ferrimagnetic / magnetostrictive and ferroelectric / piezoelectric phases . there is no conflict of interest in the present study for any of the authors .
epitaxial heterostructures combining ferroelectric ( fe ) and ferromagnetic ( fim ) oxides are a possible route to explore coupling mechanisms between the two independent order parameters , polarization and magnetization of the component phases . 
 we report on the fabrication and properties of arrays of hybrid epitaxial nanostructures of fim nife2o4 ( nfo ) and fe pbzr0.52ti0.48o3 or pbzr0.2ti0.8o3 , with large range order and lateral dimensions from 200 nm to 1 micron.methodsthe structures were fabricated by pulsed - laser deposition . 
 high resolution transmission electron microscopy and high angle annular dark - field scanning transmission electron microscopy were employed to investigate the microstructure and the epitaxial growth of the structures . 
 room temperature ferroelectric and ferrimagnetic domains of the heterostructures were imaged by piezoresponse force microscopy ( pfm ) and magnetic force microscopy ( mfm ) , respectively.resultspfm and mfm investigations proved that the hybrid epitaxial nanostructures show ferroelectric and magnetic order at room temperature . 
 dielectric effects occurring after repeated switching of the polarization in large planar capacitors , comprising ferrimagnetic nife2o4 dots embedded in ferroelectric pbzr0.52ti0.48o3 matrix , were studied.conclusionthese hybrid multiferroic structures with clean and well defined epitaxial interfaces hold promise for reliable investigations of magnetoelectric coupling between the ferrimagnetic / magnetostrictive and ferroelectric / piezoelectric phases .