Giant Magnetoelectric Coupling in Asymmetric Ferromagnet-Ferroelectric-Metal Trilayers: Toward Electric Control of Magnetization

ORAL

Abstract

By examining electron screening at the surface of ferromagnetic metals and semiconductors, we propose an asymmetric ferromagnet-ferroelectric-metal trilayer to realize giant magnetoelectric effect. The origin is the strengthened accumulation of spin-polarized screening electrons at the ferromagnet-ferroelectric interface. Including the electrostatic energy from such spin-polarized charges in the Laudau-Devibshire free energy for ferroelectics, a magnetoelectric coupling term $\chi P^2M^2$ is derived, and consequently an electric control of magnetization hysteries is observed. The dependence of $\chi$ as well as the ME effect on the choice of materials is discussed for some real ferromagnets.

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Authors

  • Tianyi Cai

    • University of Texas at Austin

  • Sheng Ju

    • Department of Physics, Suzhou University, Suzhou, 215006, China

  • Junren Shi

    • Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
    • Institute of Physics and ICQS, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100080, China

  • Enge Wang

    • Chinese Academy of Sciences
    • ICQS and Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
    • Institute of Physics and ICQS, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100080, China

  • Zhenya Li

    • Department of Physics, Suzhou University, Suzhou, 215006, China

  • Qian Niu

    • Department of Physics, The University of Texas at Austin
    • The University of Texas at Austin
    • University of Texas at Austin