Electric field control of magnetic exchange coupling

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates a novel method to control magnetic properties using electric fields through redox reactions in oxide layers, achieving significant and reversible changes in magnetization and anisotropy.

Contribution

It introduces a new approach leveraging redox reactions in oxide layers to electrically control magnetism in metal/oxide composites, surpassing previous effects.

Findings

Large, reversible magnetization changes achieved

Applicable to various metal/oxide systems

Potential for multifunctional magnetic devices

Abstract

Electric control of magnetism is a vision which drives intense research on magnetic semiconductors and multiferroics. Recently, also ultrathin metallic films were reported to show magnetoelectric effects at room temperature. Here we demonstrate much stronger effects by exploiting reduction/oxidation reactions in a naturally grown oxide layer exchange coupled to an underlying ferromagnet. For the exemplarily studied FePt/iron oxide composite in an electrolyte, a large and reversible change of magnetization and anisotropy is obtained. The principle can be transferred to various metal/oxide combinations. It represents a novel approach towards multifunctionality.