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Strain Anisotropy and Magnetic Domain Structures in Multiferroic Heterostructures: High-Throughput Finite-Element and Phase-Field Studies

31 Pages Posted: 15 Apr 2019 Publication Status: Accepted

See all articles by Jian-Jun Wang

Jian-Jun Wang

Pennsylvania State University - Department of Materials Science and Engineering

Tian-Nan Yang

Pennsylvania State University - Department of Materials Science and Engineering

Jacob A. Zorn

Pennsylvania State University - Department of Materials Science and Engineering

Emily Wang

Pennsylvania State University - Department of Materials Science and Engineering

Julian Irwin

University of Wisconsin - Madison - Department of Materials Science and Engineering

Shane Lindemann

University of Wisconsin - Madison - Department of Materials Science and Engineering

Mark S. Rzchowski

University of Wisconsin - Madison - Department of Physics

Jia-Mian Hu

University of Wisconsin - Madison - Department of Materials Science and Engineering; Pennsylvania State University - Department of Materials Science and Engineering

Chang-Beom Eom

University of Wisconsin - Madison - Department of Materials Science and Engineering

Long-Qing Chen

Pennsylvania State University - Department of Materials Science and Engineering

Abstract

Understanding magnetic domain structures and their responses to electric fields in multiferroic heterostructures is critical to the design of electric-field-driven spintronic devices. High-throughput finite-element and phase-field simulations are performed to probe the piezoelectric strain anisotropy and its relaxation, magnetic domain structures and their responses to applied voltages as function of the in-plane dimensions and thickness of the magnetic Ni nanoislands grown on a Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-PbTiO3 (PMN-PT) membrane. The piezoelectric strain anisotropy is found to increase with the in-plane aspect ratio, but it can be significantly relaxed, as large as >80%, in nanoislands of thickness larger than >15 nm. Magnetic domain diagrams are established to identify the domain structures for Ni nanoislands of different lengths of in-plane major and minor axis, as well as thickness. For Ni nanoislands with a circular in-plane geometry, an analytical function describing the relationship between the critical thickness hcritical and the in-plane diameter is obtained based on high-throughput calculations. When a voltage is applied to the multiferroic heterostructure, the single-domain magnetic domain can be switched by the piezoelectric strain, whereas the vortex domain is not switched. However, for a multiferroic heterostructure with a thick nanoisland wherein most of the piezoelectric strain is relaxed, the single-domain magnetic domain shows a weak response to the voltage and cannot be switched by the voltage. The present results are expected to provide guidance to the understanding and design of multiferroic nanostructures for achieving electric-field-modulated magnetic properties.

Keywords: Multiferroic Heterostructures Phase-field Finite-element High-throughput Domain Structures

Suggested Citation

Wang, Jian-Jun and Yang, Tian-Nan and Zorn, Jacob A. and Wang, Emily and Irwin, Julian and Lindemann, Shane and Rzchowski, Mark S. and Hu, Jia-Mian and Eom, Chang-Beom and Chen, Long-Qing, Strain Anisotropy and Magnetic Domain Structures in Multiferroic Heterostructures: High-Throughput Finite-Element and Phase-Field Studies (April 11, 2019). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3370249 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3370249

Jian-Jun Wang

Pennsylvania State University - Department of Materials Science and Engineering ( email )

University Park
State College, PA 16802
United States

Tian-Nan Yang

Pennsylvania State University - Department of Materials Science and Engineering

University Park
State College, PA 16802
United States

Jacob A. Zorn

Pennsylvania State University - Department of Materials Science and Engineering

University Park
State College, PA 16802
United States

Emily Wang

Pennsylvania State University - Department of Materials Science and Engineering

University Park
State College, PA 16802
United States

Julian Irwin

University of Wisconsin - Madison - Department of Materials Science and Engineering

Madison, WI 53706
United States

Shane Lindemann

University of Wisconsin - Madison - Department of Materials Science and Engineering

Madison, WI 53706
United States

Mark S. Rzchowski

University of Wisconsin - Madison - Department of Physics

United States

Jia-Mian Hu

University of Wisconsin - Madison - Department of Materials Science and Engineering

Madison, WI 53706
United States

Pennsylvania State University - Department of Materials Science and Engineering ( email )

University Park
State College, PA 16802
United States

Chang-Beom Eom

University of Wisconsin - Madison - Department of Materials Science and Engineering

Madison, WI 53706
United States

Long-Qing Chen (Contact Author)

Pennsylvania State University - Department of Materials Science and Engineering ( email )

University Park
State College, PA 16802
United States

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