New material with ferroelectricity and ferromagnetism may lead to better computer memory

Scientists at Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech) have demonstrated that ferroelectricity and ferromagnetism coexist at room temperature in thin films of bismuth-iron-cobalt oxide. The research could have implications in the next generation of computer memory and sensors.

Traditional computer memory, known as DRAM, uses electric fields to store information. In DRAM, the presence or absence of an electric charge is indicated either by number 1 or number 0. Unfortunately, this type of information storage is transient and information is lost when the computer is turned off. Newer types of memory, MRAM and FRAM, use long-lasting ferromagnetism and ferroelectricity to store information. However, no technology thus far combines the two.

To address this challenge, a group of scientists led by Prof. Masaki Azuma from the Laboratory for Materials and Structures at Tokyo Institute of Technology, along with associate Prof. Hajime Hojo at Kyushu University previously at Tokyo Tech, Prof. Ko Mibu at Nagoya Institute of Technology and five other researchers demonstrated the multiferroic nature of a thin film of BiFe_1-xCo_xO₃ (BFCO). Multiferroic materials exhibit both ferromagnetism and ferroelectricity. These are expected to be used as multiple-state memory devices. Furthermore, if the two orders are strongly coupled and the magnetization can be reversed by applying an external electric field, the material should work as a form of low power consumption magnetic memory.

Previous scientists had speculated that ferroelectric BFO thin film, a close relative of BFCO, might be ferromagnetic as well, but they were thwarted by the presence of magnetic impurity. Prof. M. Azuma's team successfully synthesized pure, thin films of BFCO by using pulsed laser deposition to perform epitaxial growth on a SrTiO₃ (STO) substrate. They then conducted a series of tests to show that BFCO is both ferroelectric and ferromagnetic at room temperature. They manipulated the direction of ferroelectric polarization by applying an electric field, and showed that the low-temperature cychloidal spin structure, essentially the same as that of BiFeO₃, changes to a collinear one with ferromagnetism at room temperature.

In the future, the scientists hope to realize electrical control of ferromagnetism, which could be applied in low power consumption, non-volatile memory devices.

Reference

Authors:	H. Hojo1, 4, R. Kawabe1, K. Shimizu1, H. Yamamoto1, K. Mibu2, K. Samanta3, T. Saha-Dasgupta3, and M. Azuma1
Title of original paper:	Ferromagnetism at Room Temperature Induced by Spin Structure Change in BiFe1-xCoxO3 Thin Films
Journal:	Advanced Materials
DOI :	10.1002/adma.201603131
Affiliations :	1 Laboratory for Materials and Structures, Tokyo Institute of Technology 2 Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya Institute of Technology 3 Department of Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Science, S. N. Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences 4 Faculty of Engineering and Science, Kyushu University

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