Electric Field Induced Room Temperature Null to High Spin State Switching: A Computational Prediction

Abstract

BaTiO3 is a well‐known ferroelectric material, with an electric field‐induced coupled electrical/structural transition from a cubic to a tetragonal lattice above room temperature. Via DFT calculations, the magnetic properties of an Fe monolayer sandwiched between bulk‐like BaTiO3 are explored, showing how the magnetic moment of each Fe atom is switched from a null spin to a high spin (2 μB per Fe) state when the BaTiO3 structure changes from cubic to tetragonal. This effect occurs in an optimized range of interatomic distances at the interface, allowing the design of an above‐room temperature binary, electric field write/magnetic read device.

Constrained titanohematite formation at BTO/Fe interfaces deposited by RF-sputtering

“…Altogether, we show that the choice of a proper substrate for the deposition of BTO/Fe heterostructures can be used as a way to tune the desired magnetic properties of the resultant thin film, given convenient deposition and annealing conditions. This study also points out the inherent complexity and uncountable ways of working with BTO/Fe heterostructures, which are yet to be completely understood to be used as an appealing accessible high performance magnetoelectric material [72].…”