Magnetization Reversal in Fe/BaTiO < inf > 3 < /inf > (110) Heterostructured Multiferroics

Abstract

Magnetization reversal has been demonstrated in an Fe layer grown on BaTiO3(110) single crystal substrate by utilizing the interface magnetic anisotropy induced by lattice strain and a small magnetic field bias. The polar plots of normalized remanent magnetization show isotropic nature at room temperature (293 K), while those at 230 and 175 K exhibit twofold symmetry with the easy axis oriented along [-111]pc of BaTiO3. Cooling and heating cycles in the range of 150–325 K in an applied magnetic field of −35 Oe along [-111]pc enable to achieve the deterministic 180° magnetization reversal, where distinct magnetic anisotropies of Fe associated with different structural phases of BaTiO3 will be the driving force that induces the magnetization reversal. Electric field dependence of the magnetic coercivity shows hysteric behavior, which we attribute to the combined interfacial effect of magnetization rotation in Fe and ferroelectric polarization switching in BaTiO3.