Abstract

Exploiting multiferroic BiFeO3 thin films in spintronic devices requires deterministic and robust control of both internal magnetoelectric coupling in BiFeO3, as well as exchange coupling of its antiferromagnetic order to a ferromagnetic overlayer. Previous reports utilized approaches based on multi-step ferroelectric switching with multiple ferroelectric domains. Because domain walls can be responsible for fatigue, contain localized charges intrinsically or via defects, and present problems for device reproducibility and scaling, an alternative approach using a monodomain magnetoelectric state with single-step switching is desirable. Here we demonstrate room temperature, deterministic and robust, exchange coupling between monodomain BiFeO3 films and Co overlayer that is intrinsic (i.e., not dependent on domain walls). Direct coupling between BiFeO3 antiferromagnetic order and Co magnetization is observed, with ~ 90° in-plane Co moment rotation upon single-step switching that is reproducible for hundreds of cycles. This has important consequences for practical, low power non-volatile magnetoelectric devices utilizing BiFeO3.

Details

Title
Deterministic and robust room-temperature exchange coupling in monodomain multiferroic BiFeO3 heterostructures
Author
Saenrang, W 1 ; Davidson, B A 2 ; Maccherozzi, F 3 ; Podkaminer, J P 4 ; Irwin, J 5   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Johnson, R D 6 ; Freeland, J W 7 ; Íñiguez, J 8 ; Schad, J L 4 ; Reierson, K 5 ; Frederick, J C 4 ; Vaz, C A F 9   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Howald, L 9 ; Kim, T H 4 ; Ryu, S 4 ; Veenendaal, M v 10 ; Radaelli, P G 11 ; Dhesi, S S 3 ; Rzchowski, M S 5 ; Eom, C B 4 

1  Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA; Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA 
2  Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA; CNR-Istituto Officina dei Materiali, TASC National Laboratory, Trieste, Italy; Department of Physics, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA 
3  Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, UK 
4  Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA 
5  Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA 
6  Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; ISIS Facility, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Chilton, Didcot, UK 
7  Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL, USA 
8  Department of Materials Research and Technology, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, Esch/Alzette, Luxembourg 
9  Swiss Light Source, Paul Scherrer Institut, Villigen PSI, Switzerland 
10  Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL, USA; Department of Physics, Northern Illinois University, De Kalb, IL, USA 
11  Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK 
Pages
1-8
Publication year
2017
Publication date
Nov 2017
Publisher
Nature Publishing Group
e-ISSN
20411723
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-017-01581-6
ProQuest document ID
1983427404
Copyright
© 2017. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.