Electric field induced magnetization rotation in patterned Ni ring/Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3](120.32)-[PbTiO3]0.32 heterostructures

Electric field induced magnetoelastic anisotropy is shown to rotate the magnetization of a ring-shaped magnet by 90 degrees in a Ni ring/(011) Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O-3]((1-0.32))-[PbTiO3](0.32) heterostructure. The 2000 nm diameter ring is initially field annealed forming the onion magnetization state. A 0.8 MV/m electric field is applied to the substrate creating anisotropic piezostrain and a perpendicular in-plane easy axis. Magnetic force microscopy confirms the 90 degrees rotation of the vortex-type domain walls from the field annealing direction. Rotations are stable without electric field due to remnant strains induced during the poling process, supporting the viability of strain-based magnetic recording methods. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3675458]