Magnetic state switching in FeGa microstructures

This work demonstrates that magnetoelectric composite heterostructures can be designed at the length scale of 10 mu ms that can be switched from a magnetized state to a vortex state, effectively switching the magnetization off, using electric field induced strain. This was accomplished using thin film magnetoelectric heterostructures of Fe81.4Ga18.6 on a single crystal (011) [Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O-3](0.68)-[PbTiO3](0.32) (PMN-32PT) ferroelectric substrate. The heterostructures were tripped from a multi-domain magnetized state to a flux closure vortex state using voltage induced strain in a piezoelectric substrate. FeGa heterostructures were deposited on a Si-substrate for superconducting quantum interference device magnetometry characterization of the magnetic properties. The magnetoelectric coupling of a FeGa continuous film on PMN-32PT was characterized using a magneto optical Kerr effect magnetometer with bi-axial strain gauges, and magnetic multi-domain heterostructures were imaged using x-ray magnetic circular dichroism-photoemission electron microscopy during the transition to the vortex state. The domain structures were modelled using MuMax(3), a micromagnetics code, and compared with observations. The results provide considerable insight into designing magnetoelectric heterostructures that can be switched from an 'on' state to an 'off' state using electric field induced strain.

Automated summary

This work demonstrates the design of magnetoelectric composite heterostructures at a small scale and the ability to switch them from a magnetized state to a vortex state using electric field induced strain. Experimental and simulation results provide insight into the behavior and performance of these heterostructures.