Electrically controlled switching of the magnetization state in multiferroic BaTiO3/CoFe submicrometer structures

International audienceThe development of reliable and highly energy efficient multiferroic nanosystems, which can function atroom temperature, is key for the design of ultralow-power magnetoelectric devices. Here, we report electricallycontrolled magnetic domain wall motion and magnetization switching in BaTiO3/Co50Fe50microstructures, atroom temperature. The perfect one-to-one connection between the ferroelectric domain pattern of the BaTiO3crystal and the ferromagnetic state of the CoFe microstructures, which relies on a strain-induced magneticanisotropy modification, is the cause of the observed magnetoelectric effect. As a result, the observed electricallydriven magnetization switching is highly reliable, independent of the shape and size of the microstructures.This is a key factor that makes the studied multiferroic system very promising for integration in real-worldmagnetoelectric devices