An energy efficient way for quantitative magnetization switching

Recent advancements in electrically controlled spin devices have been enabled by multiferroic systems combining ferroelectric (FE) and ferromagnetic (FM) materials, offering a path to energy‑efficient, electrically controlled magnetization switching. Here, spin‑orbit torque (SOT) devices based on multiferroic composites were fabricated to examine the angular dependence of SOT under localized in‑plane strain induced by an out‑of‑plane electric field applied to a piezoelectric substrate. The induced strain precisely modulates SOT‑driven magnetization switching in multiferroic heterostructures and can be oriented along different directions, which is promising for logic device arrays. Using harmonic Hall measurements, XMCD‑PEEM, X‑ray diffraction/microdiffraction, magnetic force microscopy (MFM), and micromagnetic simulations, we show that electric‑field‑induced strain enables precise control of SOT‑induced magnetization switching with significantly reduced energy consumption, making it suitable for next‑generation spin logic devices.

Xin Li, Hanuman Singh, Jie Lin, Shuai Zhang, Bao Yi, Jyotirmoy Chatterjee, Zhuyun Xiao, Sucheta Mondal, Nobumichi Tamura, Rob N. Candler, Long You, Jeffrey Bokor, Jeongmin Hong