Ferroelastic switching for nanoscale non-volatile magnetoelectric devices

S. H. Baek; H. W. Jang; C. M. Folkman; Y. L. Li; B. Winchester; J. X. Zhang; Q. He; Y. H. Chu; C. T. Nelson; M. S. Rzchowski; X. Q. Pan; R. Ramesh; L. Q. Chen; C. B. Eom

doi:10.1038/nmat2703

Ferroelastic switching for nanoscale non-volatile magnetoelectric devices

S. H. Baek, H. W. Jang, C. M. Folkman, Y. L. Li, B. Winchester, J. X. Zhang, Q. He, Y. H. Chu, C. T. Nelson, M. S. Rzchowski, X. Q. Pan, R. Ramesh, L. Q. Chen, C. B. Eom

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

433 Scopus citations

Abstract

Multiferroics, where (anti-) ferromagnetic, ferroelectric and ferroelastic order parameters coexist^1-5, enable manipulation of magnetic ordering by an electric field through switching of the electric polarization ^6-9. It has been shown that realization of magnetoelectric coupling in a single-phase multiferroic such as BiFeO₃ requires ferroelastic (71°, 109°) rather than ferroelectric (180°) domain switching ⁶. However, the control of such ferroelastic switching in a single-phase system has been a significant challenge as elastic interactions tend to destabilize small switched volumes, resulting in subsequent ferroelastic back-switching at zero electric field, and thus the disappearance of non-volatile information storage. Guided by our phase-field simulations, here we report an approach to stabilize ferroelastic switching by eliminating the stress-induced instability responsible for back-switching using isolated monodomain BiFeO₃ islands. This work demonstrates a critical step to control and use non-volatile magnetoelectric coupling at the nanoscale. Beyond magnetoelectric coupling, it provides a framework for exploring a route to control multiple order parameters coupled to ferroelastic order in other low-symmetry materials.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	309-314
Number of pages	6
Journal	Nature Materials
Volume	9
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/nmat2703
State	Published - Apr 2010
Externally published	Yes

Funding

The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the National Science Foundation through grant ECCS-0708759, the Office of Naval Research through grant N00014-07-1-0215 and a David and Lucile Packard Fellowship (C.B.E.). The theoretical analyses and phase-field simulations at Penn State were supported by DOE Basic Sciences under grant number DE-FG02-07ER46417 (L.Q.C.) and NSF MRSEC on Nanosciences under grant number NSF DMR-0820404 (Y.L.L. and B.W.). The work at the University of Michigan was supported by DOE Basic Sciences under grant number DE-FG02-07ER46416 (X.Q.P.). The work at Berkeley is supported by the Director, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Materials Sciences Division of the US Department of Energy under contract No. DE-AC02-05CH1123. The authors thank T. Tybell for helpful discussions.

Funders	Funder number
DOE Basic Sciences	DE-FG02-07ER46417
NSF MRSEC
Office of Basic Energy Sciences
US Department of Energy
National Science Foundation	DE-FG02-07ER46416, ECCS-0708759, DMR-0820404
Office of Naval Research	N00014-07-1-0215
Office of Science

Access to Document

10.1038/nmat2703

Cite this

@article{82fbf2c271314e51beec5a56de312689,

title = "Ferroelastic switching for nanoscale non-volatile magnetoelectric devices",

abstract = "Multiferroics, where (anti-) ferromagnetic, ferroelectric and ferroelastic order parameters coexist1-5, enable manipulation of magnetic ordering by an electric field through switching of the electric polarization 6-9. It has been shown that realization of magnetoelectric coupling in a single-phase multiferroic such as BiFeO3 requires ferroelastic (71°, 109°) rather than ferroelectric (180°) domain switching 6. However, the control of such ferroelastic switching in a single-phase system has been a significant challenge as elastic interactions tend to destabilize small switched volumes, resulting in subsequent ferroelastic back-switching at zero electric field, and thus the disappearance of non-volatile information storage. Guided by our phase-field simulations, here we report an approach to stabilize ferroelastic switching by eliminating the stress-induced instability responsible for back-switching using isolated monodomain BiFeO3 islands. This work demonstrates a critical step to control and use non-volatile magnetoelectric coupling at the nanoscale. Beyond magnetoelectric coupling, it provides a framework for exploring a route to control multiple order parameters coupled to ferroelastic order in other low-symmetry materials.",

author = "Baek, {S. H.} and Jang, {H. W.} and Folkman, {C. M.} and Li, {Y. L.} and B. Winchester and Zhang, {J. X.} and Q. He and Chu, {Y. H.} and Nelson, {C. T.} and Rzchowski, {M. S.} and Pan, {X. Q.} and R. Ramesh and Chen, {L. Q.} and Eom, {C. B.}",

year = "2010",

month = apr,

doi = "10.1038/nmat2703",

language = "English",

volume = "9",

pages = "309--314",

journal = "Nature Materials",

issn = "1476-1122",

publisher = "Nature Research",

number = "4",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Ferroelastic switching for nanoscale non-volatile magnetoelectric devices

AU - Baek, S. H.

AU - Jang, H. W.

AU - Folkman, C. M.

AU - Li, Y. L.

AU - Winchester, B.

AU - Zhang, J. X.

AU - He, Q.

AU - Chu, Y. H.

AU - Nelson, C. T.

AU - Rzchowski, M. S.

AU - Pan, X. Q.

AU - Ramesh, R.

AU - Chen, L. Q.

AU - Eom, C. B.

PY - 2010/4

Y1 - 2010/4

N2 - Multiferroics, where (anti-) ferromagnetic, ferroelectric and ferroelastic order parameters coexist1-5, enable manipulation of magnetic ordering by an electric field through switching of the electric polarization 6-9. It has been shown that realization of magnetoelectric coupling in a single-phase multiferroic such as BiFeO3 requires ferroelastic (71°, 109°) rather than ferroelectric (180°) domain switching 6. However, the control of such ferroelastic switching in a single-phase system has been a significant challenge as elastic interactions tend to destabilize small switched volumes, resulting in subsequent ferroelastic back-switching at zero electric field, and thus the disappearance of non-volatile information storage. Guided by our phase-field simulations, here we report an approach to stabilize ferroelastic switching by eliminating the stress-induced instability responsible for back-switching using isolated monodomain BiFeO3 islands. This work demonstrates a critical step to control and use non-volatile magnetoelectric coupling at the nanoscale. Beyond magnetoelectric coupling, it provides a framework for exploring a route to control multiple order parameters coupled to ferroelastic order in other low-symmetry materials.

AB - Multiferroics, where (anti-) ferromagnetic, ferroelectric and ferroelastic order parameters coexist1-5, enable manipulation of magnetic ordering by an electric field through switching of the electric polarization 6-9. It has been shown that realization of magnetoelectric coupling in a single-phase multiferroic such as BiFeO3 requires ferroelastic (71°, 109°) rather than ferroelectric (180°) domain switching 6. However, the control of such ferroelastic switching in a single-phase system has been a significant challenge as elastic interactions tend to destabilize small switched volumes, resulting in subsequent ferroelastic back-switching at zero electric field, and thus the disappearance of non-volatile information storage. Guided by our phase-field simulations, here we report an approach to stabilize ferroelastic switching by eliminating the stress-induced instability responsible for back-switching using isolated monodomain BiFeO3 islands. This work demonstrates a critical step to control and use non-volatile magnetoelectric coupling at the nanoscale. Beyond magnetoelectric coupling, it provides a framework for exploring a route to control multiple order parameters coupled to ferroelastic order in other low-symmetry materials.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=77950023254&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1038/nmat2703

DO - 10.1038/nmat2703

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:77950023254

SN - 1476-1122

VL - 9

SP - 309

EP - 314

JO - Nature Materials

JF - Nature Materials

IS - 4

ER -

Ferroelastic switching for nanoscale non-volatile magnetoelectric devices

Abstract

Funding

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this