Switchable voltage control of the magnetic coercive field via magnetoelectric effect

Switchable voltage modulation of the magnetic properties is reported in different multiferroic bilayers with magnetic films grown on pre-poled ferroelectric substrates, based on the magneto-optical Kerr effect observations. The dynamic voltage control of the magnetic coercive field (Hc) is dependent not only on the materials properties of each ferroic layer, but also on the bias voltage history. The Hc versus electric field behaviors essentially track the dependence of the piezostrains of the substrates on the bias voltage. The observations demonstrate that Hc in such multiferroic bilayers can be controlled by voltage via strain-mediated magnetoelectric coupling and that the Hc change is not an artifact due to a heating effect.