Abstract: Controlling magnetism with electric field directly or through strain-driven piezoelectric coupling remains a key goal of spintronics. Piezomagnetism, a linear magneto-mechanic coupling effect, allows direct 180° magnetisation reversal in comparatively small strains without applied magnetic fields and, therefore, offers a potentially far more attractive functionality compared to magnetostriction which is widely used in multiferroic laminates. Here we demonstrate the first experimental evidence of giant piezomagnetism in antiperovskite Mn3NiN, facilitated by its geometrically frustrated antiferromagnetism. Thin films of Mn3NiN with intrinsic static biaxial strains of ±0.3% result in transition temperature shifts by 60K and associated changes in magnetisation consistent with theoretical predictions. Films grown on BaTiO3 display a striking magnetisation jump in response to uniaxial strain from the intrinsic structural transition of the substrate predicted by theory. Taken together, these results demonstrate the potential of piezomagnetism as a novel route to electric field control of magnetism and pave the way for further research into the broader family of Mn-based antiperovskites where yet larger effects are predicted at room temperature.
References:
Giant Piezomagnetism in Mn3NiN for Non-Volatile Memory Applications
Boldrin, David; Mihai, Andrei; Zou, Bin; Zemen, Jan; Thompson, Ryan; Ware, Ecaterina; Neamtu, Bogdan; Ghivelder, Luis; Esser, Bryan; McComb, David; Petrov, Peter; Cohen, Lesley
In review ACS Applied materials and Interfaces
Piezomagnetism as a counterpart of the magnetovolume effect in magnetically frustrated Mn-based antiperovskite nitrides
J. Zemen, Z. Gercsi, K.G. Sandeman Phys. Rev. B, 96 (2) (2017), 10.1103/PhysRevB.96.024451 024451