Non-volatile voltage control of magnetization and magnetic domain walls in magnetostrictive epitaxial thin films

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates room-temperature, non-volatile voltage control of magnetization and domain walls in epitaxial Fe81Ga19 films via strain from a piezoelectric transducer, without external magnetic fields.

Contribution

It introduces a method for voltage-induced, non-volatile magnetic switching in epitaxial thin films using strain, without external magnetic fields, advancing magnetic memory technologies.

Findings

Voltage induces non-volatile magnetization switching.

Magnetization switching is achieved at room temperature.

Magnetic domain walls are controlled by voltage-induced strain.

Abstract

We demonstrate reproducible voltage induced non-volatile switching of the magnetization in an epitaxial thin Fe81Ga19 film. Switching is induced at room temperature and without the aid of an external magnetic field. This is achieved by the modification of the magnetic anisotropy by mechanical strain induced by a piezoelectric transducer attached to the layer. Epitaxial Fe81Ga19 is shown to possess the favourable combination of cubic magnetic anisotropy and large magnetostriction necessary to achieve this functionality with experimentally accessible levels of strain. The switching of the magnetization proceeds by the motion of magnetic domain walls, also controlled by the voltage induced strain.