Investigation of the Features of a Superconducting Spin Valve Fe1/Cu/Fe2/Cu/Pb on a Piezoelectric PMN–PT Substrate

Abstract

The properties of a superconducting spin valve Fe1/Cu/Fe2/Cu/Pb on a piezoelectric PMN–PT substrate ([Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3]0.7–[PbTiO3]0.3) in electric and magnetic fields have been studied. The magnitude of the shift of the superconducting transition temperature in the magnetic field H = 1 kOe equal to 150 mK was detected, while the full superconducting spin valve effect was demonstrated. Abnormal behavior of the superconducting transition temperature was observed, which manifests itself in the maximum values of the superconducting transition temperature with the orthogonal orientation of the magnetization vectors of ferromagnetic layers. This may indirectly indicate the formation of the easy axis of the magnetization vector of the Fe1-layer adjacent to the piezoelectric substrate PMN–PT. It was found that with an increase in the magnitude of the applied electric field to the PMN–PT substrate, the shift in the superconducting transition temperature of the Fe1/Cu/Fe2/Cu/Pb heterostructure increases. The maximum shift was 10 mK in an electric field of 1 kV/cm. Thus, it has been shown for the first time that a piezoelectric superconducting spin valve can function.