Electric-Field-Driven Reversal of Ferromagnetism in (110)-Oriented, Single Phase, Multiferroic Co-Substituted BiFeO3 Thin Films

While multiferroic materials are attractive systems for the promise of ultra-low-power-consumption computational technologies, electric-field-induced magnetization reversal is a key challenge for realizing devices at scale. Though significant research efforts have been working toward the realization of a material which couples ferroelectricity and ferromagnetism, there are few, even composite, systems which are practical for device scale applications at room temperature. Co-substituted multiferroic BiFe_0.9Co_0.1O₃ is a promising candidate system, due to coupled ferroelectricity and weak ferromagnetism at room temperature. Here, it is theoretically indicated that the ferroic orders in this material are statically coupled, where an in-plane 109° ferroelectric switching event can result in the reversal of this out-of-plane component of magnetization, and the electric field-induced magnetization reversal is experimentally observed. Such an in-plane poling configuration is particularly desirable for device applications.