Magnetoelectric Effects in Complex Oxides with Competing Ground States

Abstract

The drive to develop materials with new multifunctional capabilities has rekindled interest in multiferroics—systems which are characterized by the simultaneous presence of, and coupling between, magnetic and electric order parameters. In naturally occurring multiferroics the magnetoelectric coupling is often weak, and new classes of artificially structured composite materials that combine dissimilar magnetic and ferroelectric systems are being developed to optimize order parameter coupling. [1–6] Here, we describe direct, charge-mediated magnetoelectric coupling in a heterogeneous multiferroic that takes advantage of the sensitivity of a strongly correlated magnetic system to competing electronic ground states. Using magneto-optic Kerr effect magnetometry, we observe large magnetoelectric coupling in ferroelectric/lanthanum manganite heterostructures, including electric field-controlled on/off switching of magnetism. These results open a new vista for the development of novel magnetoelectric devices with large charge coupling between electric and magnetic degrees of freedom. Doped lanthanum manganites are complex oxides characterized by a strong interplay between electron transport, magnetism, and crystal lattice distortions, leading to a rich variety of electronic behavior, including magnetic and charge-ordered states, colossal magnetoresistance (CMR), and a diversity of electron transport behavior. Underlying the competition between these ground states is the prominent role of charge in double exchange, hopping, and orbital overlap. [7,8] To date, controlling charge as a parameter has most often been achieved using chemical doping, which is robust, and permanent. An alternative approach to