Multilevel magnetization switching by electric field in c-axis oriented polycrystalline Z-type hexaferrite

Direct and converse magnetoelectric (ME) effects, namely, magnetic-field (B) induced electric polarization (P) and electric-field (E) induced magnetization (M), respectively, were investigated at room temperature for c-axis oriented polycrystalline specimens of a Z-type hexaferrite, Sr3Co2Fe24O41. The B profile of the linear ME coefficient obtained from the converse effect well coincides with that obtained from the direct effect. Furthermore, M-E curves show a substantial hysteretic behavior, which allows reversal and multilevel switching of M by applying pulsed E. The present results demonstrate the feasibility of nonvolatile memory elements by using the ME Z-type hexaferrite at room temperature. (C) 2013 AIP Publishing LLC.