Giant Electric-Field-Induced Magnetic Anisotropy Reorientation With Patterned Electrodes On A Ni Thin Film/Lead Zirconate Titanate Heterostructure

This study reports a method of using patterned electrodes on a piezoelectric substrate to generate local strain to control magnetic properties of individual magnetic units. By operating different effective electrode pairs on a piezoelectric substrate, a local bi-axial strain is generated. This rotates the magnetic anisotropy of a 35 nm thick and 0.5 mm diameter Ni island through the magnetoelastic effect. The electric-field-induced magnetic anisotropy exhibits an anisotropy field up to 600 Oe and a 75% change in magnetic remanence. (C) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC.