Electric field manipulation of magnetization at room temperature in multiferroic CoFe₂O₄/Pb(Mg_1/3Nb _2/3)_0.7 Ti_0.3O₃ heterostructures

Multiferroic heterostructures were fabricated by growing ferrimagnetic CoFe2 O4 films on ferroelectric Pb (Mg1/3 Nb2/3) 0.7 Ti0.3 O3 substrates using pulsed laser deposition. Upon applying an electric field, the in-plane magnetization of the heterostructures increases and the out-of-plane magnetization decreases. Sharp and reversible changes in magnetization under electric field were also observed for the poled sample. The relative change in magnetization-electric field hysteresis loops were obtained for both the in-plane and out-of-plane magnetizations. Analysis of the results suggests that the electric field induced change in magnetic anisotropy via strain plays an important role in the magnetoelectric coupling in the heterostructures.