Electric field control of magnetization reversal in FeGa/PMN-PT thin films

Artificial magnetoelectric materials possess huge potential to be utilized in the development of energy efficient spintronic devices. In the past decade, the search for a good ferromagnetic/ferroelectric combination having the ability to create high magnetoelectric coupling, created new insights and also new challenges. In this report, the magnetoelectric effect is studied in the FeGa/PMN-PT(001) multiferroic heterostructures in presence of electric fields via the strain-mediated effects. A formation of magnetic anisotropy in FeGa is observed after changing the polarization of PMN-PT to out-of-plane orientations. The magnetic domains structures forming during the magnetization reversal were studied at compressive, tensile and remanent strained states. The change in the magnetic properties were reversible after each cycling of the electric field polarity, hence creating a non-volatile system. The control of magnetization switching sustained by an ON-OFF electric field makes our multiferroic heterostructure suitable for application in low-power magnetoelectric based memory applications.