Strain modulated ferromagnetic to antiferromagnetic transition in FeRh/BaTiO_3 (001) heterostructures

摘要

We report the elastically induced magnetic phase transition of FeRh thin films on BaTiO_3 (001) at the successive phase transitions of BaTiO_3, which is accompanied by abrupt variations of magnetization and resistance of FeRh at saturated magnetic fields. In-situ X-ray diffraction at different temperatures reveal that the compressive strains are induced accompanied by the tetragonal to orthorhombic and the orthorhombic to rhombohedral structural phase transition of BaTiO_3 during cooling, due to the changes in the lattice constant and domain structure in different phases. The compressive strain further stabilizes the antiferromagnetic phase of FeRh and accounts for the magnetization and resistance changes.