High On/Off Ratio Memristive Switching of Manganite-Cuprate Bilayer by Interfacial Magnetoelectricity

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates high On/Off ratio memristive switching in a manganite-cuprate bilayer driven by interfacial magnetoelectricity, offering low energy consumption and potential for advanced electronic devices.

Contribution

It reveals a novel interfacial magnetoelectric mechanism enabling high-performance memristive switching in transition-metal-oxide bilayers.

Findings

On/Off ratio > 10^3 in bilayer memristors

Switching driven by electric-field-induced interfacial magnetic changes

Low energy cost of about a tenth of atto Joule per switch

Abstract

Memristive switching serves as the basis for a new generation of electronic devices. Memristors are two-terminal devices in which the current is turned on and off by redistributing point defects, e.g., vacancies, which is difficult to control. Memristors based on alternative mechanisms have been explored, but achieving both the high On/Off ratio and the low switching energy desirable for use in electronics remains a challenge. Here we report memristive switching in a La0.7Ca0.3MnO3/PrBa2Cu3O7 bilayer with an On/Off ratio greater than 10^3 and demonstrate that the phenomenon originates from a new type of interfacial magnetoelectricity. Using results from first-principles calculations, we show that an external electric-field induces subtle displacements of the interfacial Mn ions, which switches on/off an interfacial magnetic "dead" layer, resulting in memristive behavior for spin-polarized electron transport across the bilayer. The interfacial nature of the switching entails low energy cost about of a tenth of atto Joule for write/erase a "bit". Our results indicate new opportunities for manganite/cuprate systems and other transition-metal-oxide junctions in memristive applications.