Electric-field induced strain modulation of magnetization in Fe-Ga/Pb(Mg_1/3Nb_2/3)-PbTiO₃ magnetoelectric heterostructures

Magnetostrictive Fe-Ga thin layers were deposited on 〈110〉- oriented Pb(Mg_1/3Nb_2/3)-30%PbTiO₃ (PMN-30%PT) substrates by pulsed laser deposition. The as-prepared heterostructures showed columnar arrays aligned in the out-of-plane direction. Transmission electron microscopy revealed nanocrystalline regions within the columnar arrays of the Fe-Ga film. The heterostructure exhibited a strong converse magnetoelectric coupling effect of up to 4.55 × 10^-7 s m^-1, as well as an electric field tunability of the in-plane magnetic anisotropy. Furthermore, the remanent magnetization states of the Fe-Ga films can be reversibly and irreversibly changed by external electric fields, suggesting a promising and robust application in magnetic random access memories and spintronics.