Large resistivity modulation in mixed-phase metallic systems

Year: 2015

Type: article

Abstract: In numerous systems, giant physical responses have been discovered when two phases coexist; for example, near a phase transition. An intermetallic FeRh system undergoes a first-order antiferromagnetic to ferromagnetic transition above room temperature and shows two-phase coexistence near the transition. Here we have investigated the effect of an electric field to FeRh/PMN-PT heterostructures and report 8% change in the electrical resistivity of FeRh films. Such a ‘giant’ electroresistance (GER) response is striking in metallic systems, in which external electric fields are screened, and thus only weakly influence the carrier concentrations and mobilities. We show that our FeRh films comprise coexisting ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic phases with different resistivities and the origin of the GER effect is the strain-mediated change in their relative proportions. The observed behaviour is reminiscent of colossal magnetoresistance in perovskite manganites and illustrates the role of mixed-phase coexistence in achieving large changes in physical properties with low-energy external perturbation. The control of magnetization by an electric field can offer new magnetic data devices. Here, controlling magnetic phases in FeRh, the authors achieve a large electroresistance response in FeRh/PMN-PT heterostructures by applying an electric field, which could be used for non-volatile memory applications.

Source: Nature Communications

DOI: 10.1038/ncomms6959

Authors: Yeonbae Lee, Z. Q. Liu, J. T. Heron, J. D. Clarkson, J. Hong, C. Ko, M. D. Biegalski, U. Aschauer, S. L. Hsu, M. E. Nowakowski, J. Wu, H. M. Christen, S. Salahuddin, J. B. Bokor, N. A. Spaldin, D. G. Schlom, R. Ramesh

Institutions: University of California, Berkeley, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Cornell University, ETH Zurich, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Language: English

Topic: Multiferroics and related materials

Subfield: Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials

Field: Materials Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $6,990

Funders: National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Department of Energy, Battelle, UT-Battelle, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Cornell Center for Materials Research, Materials Research Science and Engineering Center, Harvard University, Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative, Division of Materials Research, Basic Energy Sciences, Laboratory Directed Research and Development, Army Research Office, Oak Ridge National Laboratory

OpenAlex ID: W2053159482