Ferroelectric Control of Spin Polarization

• DOI: 10.1126/science.1184028
• Publication Date: 2010-02-25T20:17:20Z
• Authors: V. Garcia; M. Bibes; L. Bocher; S. Valencia; F. Kronast; A. Crassous; X. Moya; S. Enouz-Vedrenne; A. Gloter; D. Imhoff; C. Deranlot; N. D. Mathur; S. Fusil; K. Bouzehouane; A. Barthélémy
• Keywords: Nanoelectronics; Tunnel magnetoresistance

A current drawback of spintronics is the large power that usually required for magnetic writing, in contrast with nanoelectronics, which relies on "zero-current," gate-controlled operations. Efforts have been made to control spin-relaxation rate, Curie temperature, or anisotropy a gate voltage, but these effects are small and volatile. We used ferroelectric tunnel junctions ferromagnetic electrodes demonstrate local, large, nonvolatile carrier spin polarization by electrically switching polarization. Our results represent giant type interfacial magnetoelectric coupling suggest low-power approach spin-based information control.