Electric field control of exchange bias in multiferroic epitaxial heterostructures

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that applying an electric field to a multiferroic heterostructure can control the magnetic exchange bias and magnetotransport properties, advancing electric-field controlled spintronics technology.

Contribution

It introduces a method to modulate exchange bias in multiferroic heterostructures using electric fields, enabling new spintronics device functionalities.

Findings

Electric field modifies exchange bias in YMnO3-based heterostructures

Control of magnetotransport properties via electric field

Potential for electric-field controlled spintronics devices

Abstract

The magnetic exchange bias between epitaxial thin films of the multiferroic (antiferromagnetic and ferroelectric) hexagonal YMnO3 oxide and a soft ferromagnetic (FM) layer is used to couple the magnetic response of the ferromagnetic layer to the magnetic state of the antiferromagnetic one. We will show that biasing the ferroelectric YMnO3 layer by an appropriate electric field allows modifying and controlling the magnetic exchange bias and subsequently the magnetotransport properties of the FM layer. This finding may contribute to pave the way towards a new generation of electric-field controlled spintronics devices.