Energy Efficient All-Electric-Field-Controlled Multiferroic Magnetic Domain-Wall Logic

Abstract

Magnetic domain wall (DW)-based logic devices offer numerous opportunities for emerging electronics applications allowing superior performance characteristics such as fast motion, high density, and nonvolatility to process information. However, these devices rely on an external magnetic field, which limits their implementation; this is particularly problematic in large-scale applications. Multiferroic systems consisting of a piezoelectric substrate coupled with ferromagnets provide a potential solution that provides the possibility of controlling magnetization through an electric field via magnetoelastic coupling. Strain-induced magnetization anisotropy tilting can influence the DW motion in a controllable way. We demonstrate a method to perform all-electrical logic operations using such a system. Ferromagnetic coupling between neighboring magnetic domains induced by the electric-field-controlled strain has been exploited to promote noncollinear spin alignment, which is used for realizing essential building blocks, including DW generation, propagation, and pinning, in all implementations of Boolean logic, which will pave the way for scalable memory-in-logic applications.

Magnetic-Field-Assisted Electric-Field-Induced Domain Switching of a Magnetic Single Domain in a Multiferroic/Magnetoelectric Ni Nanochevron/[Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3]0.68–[PbTiO3]0.32 (PMN–PT) Layered Structure

“…Recently, analytical models and experimental approaches for multiferroic/magnetoelectric materials/structures have been studied in the context of memory devices [ 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 ]. These approaches use the converse magnetoelectric effect found in multiferroic and magnetoelectric materials/structures [ 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 ]. When an electric field is applied to these materials/structures, mechanical strain is generated due to the piezoelectric effect.…”

“…Most researchers believe that the coupling of electric fields, strain, and magnetic domains/magnetization (as well as magnetic fields) could be used to electrically control magnetic domains/magnetization (and electrically generate/control magnetic fields) at the nanoscale. However, few researchers have successfully demonstrated this (i.e., electrically controlling the magnetic domains in multiferroic/magnetoelectric materials at the nanoscale) [ 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 ].…”