Magnetic-field-assisted electric-field-controlled rotation of magnetic stripe domains in a magnetoelectric Ni microbar/[Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O-3](0.68)-[PbTiO3](0.32) heterostructure

Abstract

We report a magnetic-field-assisted electric-field-controlled approach to rotate magnetic stripe domains in a magnetoelectric Ni-microbar/[Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O-3](0.68)-[PbTiO3](0.32) heterostructure. A magnetic field is applied for magnetizing the microbar\'s stripe domains along the microbar\'s short/magnetic-hard axis. Subsequently, an electric field is applied for induction of a transformation of domains through the converse magnetoelectric effect. Owing to the microbar\'s geometry, the transformation causes the stripe domains to rotate away from the short/magnetichard axis toward the long/magnetic-easy axis. The rotation angle increases in proportion to the increasing electric field intensity. A maximal rotation of 90 degrees is obtained at the electric field intensity of 0.8MV/m. The rotation state persists after removing the electric field. (C) 2016 The Japan Society of Applied Physics