Electric-poling-induced magnetic anisotropy and electric-field-induced magnetization reorientation in magnetoelectric Ni/(011) [Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3](1-x)-[PbTiO3]x heterostructure

This study reports the influence of poling a PMN-PT single crystal laminated structure on the magnetic properties of a 35 nm polycrystalline Ni thin film. During the poling process, a large anisotropic remanent strain is developed in the PMN-PT that is transferred to the ferromagnetic film creating a large predefined magnetic anisotropy. Test results show that operating the PMN-PT substrate in the linear regime following poling produces sufficient anisotropic strain to reversibly reorient the magnetization toward an easy axis oriented 90 degrees to the magnetic easy axis induced during poling. The influence of poling prestress on the magnetic anisotropy field, coercive field and magnetic remanence is discussed. (c) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3563040]