Non-volatile electrically driven repeatablemagnetization reversal with no appliedmagnetic field

摘要

Repeatable magnetization reversal under purely electrical control remains the outstandinggoal in magnetoelectrics. Here we use magnetic force microscopy to study a commerciallymanufactured multilayer capacitor that displays strain-mediated coupling between magnetostrictiveNi electrodes and piezoelectric BaTiO3-based dielectric layers. In an electrodeexposed by polishing approximately normal to the layers, we find a perpendicularly magnetizedfeature that exhibits non-volatile electrically driven repeatable magnetization reversalwith no applied magnetic field. Using micromagnetic modelling, we interpret this nominallyfull magnetization reversal in terms of a dynamic precession that is triggered by strain fromvoltage-driven ferroelectric switching that is fast and reversible. The anisotropy fieldresponsible for the perpendicular magnetization is reversed by the electrically driven magneticswitching, which is, therefore, repeatable. Our demonstration of non-volatile magneticswitching via volatile ferroelectric switching may inspire the design of fatigue-free devices forelectric-write magnetic-read data storage.