Electrical modulation and probing of antiferromagnetism in hybrid multiferroic heterostructures

The unique features of ultrafast spin dynamics and the absence of macroscopic magnetization in antiferromagnetic (AFM) materials provide a distinct route toward high-speed magnetic storage devices with low energy consumption and high integration density. However, these advantages also introduce challenges in probing and controlling AFM order, thereby restricting their practical application. In this study, we demonstrate an all-electric control and probing of AFM order in heavy metal/AFM insulator heterostructures on a ferroelectric substrate at room temperature. The AFM order was detected by the anomalous Hall effect (AHE) and manipulated by the ferroelectric field effect as well as the piezoelectric effect in heterostructures of Pt/NiO/0.7Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3–0.3PbTiO3 (PMN–PT). The nonvolatile control of AFM order gives rise to a 33% modulation of AHE, which is further evidenced by synchrotron-based x-ray magnetic linear dichroism. Combined with the in situ piezoelectric response of AHE, we demonstrate that the ferroelectric polarization contributes mainly to the control of AFM order. Our results are expected to have broader implications for efficient spintronic devices.