Electric control of magnetic moment in a ferromagnet/semiconductor hybrid system

It is shown that the exchange coupling in a ferromagnet/semiconductor quantum well heterostructure allows the electric control of the orientation of magnetic moment in the ferromagnet. A highly anisotropic exchange interaction between holes in the quantum well and magnetic atoms in the ferromagnet causes the orientational transition: magnetic moment leaves the plane and becomes oriented along the normal. The normal component of magnetization can be inverted by applying voltage pulses to the structure gate. (C) 2003 MAIK Nauka / Interperiodica.