Magnetoelectic effect in Fe/BaTiO3 multilayers: Ferroelectric control of magnetism
Chun-Gang Duan, S. S. Jaswal, and E. Y. Tsymbal
An unexplored physical mechanism which produces a magnetoelectric effect in ferroelectric/ferromagnetic multilayers is studied based on first-principles calculations. Its origin is a change in bonding at the ferroelectric/ferromagnet interface that alters the interface magnetization when the electric polarization reverses. Using Fe/BaTiO3 multilayers as a representative model we show a sizable difference in magnetic moments of Fe and Ti atoms at the two interfaces dissimilar by the orientation of the local electric dipole moments. The predicted magnetoelectric effect opens a new direction to control magnetic properties of thin-film layered structures by electric fields. We therefore hope that our theoretical predictions will stimulate experimental studies of such multilayers to search for the magnetoelectric effect driven by interface bonding. Funded by NSF and NRI.
Paper:
Chun-Gang Duan, S. S. Jaswal, and E. Y. Tsymbal,
Research
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