Large Electric-Field Modulation of Magnetic Properties in Fe Films on BiScO3-PbTiO3 Ceramics

Based on the magneto-optical Kerr effect, we report the electric-field modulation of the magnetic properties in Fe/BiScO3-PbTiO3 (BSPT) film-on-ceramic substrate structure. The Fe films are directly grown on the fully-poled BSPT ceramic substrates by magnetron sputtering. An electric field applied parallel to the prepolarization direction of the piezoelectric BSPT can induce a reversible increase in the coercive field H-c of about 30%, whereas an electric field antiparallel to the prepolarization direction can cause a persistent, tremendous decrease (as large as 97%) in H-c, and a small reversal electric field can resume it back. The strain induced by the inverse piezoelectric effect is the primary mechanism behind. This large modulation of the coercive field by the electric field could inspire further exploration of electric-field-controlled magnetic switching in multiferroic heterostructures.