Isothermal electric switching of magnetization in Cr2O3/Co thin film system

Abstract

We investigated the magnetoelectric properties of Cr2O3/Co all-thin-film exchange coupling system with Cr spacer layer. In this system, significantly small coercivity (Hc < 50 Oe) was obtained by the Cr spacer layer insertion between Cr2O3 and Co layers. Owing to the small Hc, exchange bias field, Hex, larger than Hc was achieved. It enabled us to observe magnetization switching at a zero magnetic field, when Hex was reversed by magnetoelectric effect of Cr2O3 layer. Finally, we demonstrated the isothermal magnetoelectric switching of magnetization in the Cr2O3/Cr/Co all-thin-film system. By changing the direction of the electric field during the isothermal magnetoelectric switching process, both Hex and magnetization at a zero magnetic field were reversed back and forth, i.e., isothermal magnetization switching by an electric field was achieved.