Highly efficient deterministic voltage control of the perpendicular Néel vector in a magnetoelectric antiferromagnet
Phys. Rev. Applied 25, 014017 – Published 8 January, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/2k8x-pryw
Abstract
Efficient manipulation of the antiferromagnetic (AFM) state is desirable for advanced spintronic devices with fast operation and robustness regarding magnetic field perturbation. In this article, we demonstrate deterministic bipolar AFM spin reversal induced by a low voltage below 0.8 V (51 mV/nm) based on the magnetoelectric (ME) effect in a // epitaxial trilayer. A stable spin direction is determined depending on the sign of the electric field and magnetic field product, enabling deterministic access to four quadrants in E-H space. With the help of first-principles calculations, we show that the voltage effect on the magnetic anisotropy energy density is a minor effect, whereas the ME effect determines both the stable spin state and the switching behavior. Our findings not only advance voltage-based insulating AFM spintronics but also provide a basis for the device function, such as a deterministic logic operation by means of the field combination.
