Electric-field-induced on-off switching of anomalous Ettingshausen effect in ultrathin Co films

Abstract

We have investigated the electric field effect on magneto-thermoelectric conversion in ultrathin Co films with a naturally-oxidized surface and a solid-state capacitor structure. By means of the thermoelectric imaging technique based on the lock-in thermography, we demonstrate the reversible on-off switching of heat currents generated by the anomalous Ettingshausen effect in response to the electric-field-induced magnetic phase transition in the Co films. The electric-field-induced switching property is found to be tuned by changing the Co thickness. Our finding will provide a method for reconfigurable and pin-point switching of thermoelectric conversion properties in spin-caloritronic devices.