Program Highlights

Ferroelectrically-Controlled Magnetic Anisotropy

Anil Rajapitamahuni, Lingling Tao, Jingfeng Song, Evgeny Tsymbal, and Xia Hong
Nebraska MRSEC

Using electric fields or voltage to manipulate magnetically ordered states is a promising approach to develop novel energy-efficient electronic devices. Nebraska MRSEC researchers have explored a new path to the electrically controlled magnetism. They exploited an electric polarization of lead zirconate titanate (PZT) to control magnetic anisotropy of a nm-thick film of lanthanum strontium manganite (LSMO). PZT is a ferroelectric material which allows reversible switching of its polarization by voltage. The researchers found that magnetic anisotropy of the LSMO film changes by about 20% when the ferroelectric polarization of PZT is reversed. Magnetic anisotropy determines magnetization orientation, and thus this work has demonstrated a route to achieve non-volatile voltage control of the magnetic state via switching the ferroelectric polarization, which is critical for developing low-power device applications.

This research is supported by the National Science Foundation, Division of Materials Research, Materials Research Science and Engineering Program, Grant DMR-1420645.

Schematic of a device where magnetization of  lanthanum strontium manganite (LSMO)  is affected by ferroelectric polarization (indicated by dipoles) of lead zirconate titanate (PZT) via a gate voltage (V_g).