Vector analysis of electric-field-induced antiparallel magnetic domain evolution in ferromagnetic/ferroelectric heterostructures

Electric field (E-field) control of magnetism based on magnetoelectric coupling is one of the promising approaches for manipulating the magnetization with low power consumption. The evolution of magnetic domains under in-situ E-fields is significant for the practical applications in integrated micro/nano devices. Here, we report the vector analysis of the E-field-driven antiparallel magnetic domain evolution in FeCoSiB/PMN-PT(011) multiferroic heterostructures via in-situ quantitative magneto-optical Kerr microscope. It is demonstrated that the magnetic domains can be switched to both the 0° and 180° easy directions at the same time by E-fields, resulting in antiparallel magnetization distribution in ferromagnetic/ferroelectric heterostructures. This antiparallel magnetic domain evolution is attributed to energy minimization with the uniaxial strains by E-fields which can induce the rotation of domains no more than 90°. Moreover, domains can be driven along only one or both easy axis directions by reasonably selecting the initial magnetic domain distribution. The vector analysis of magnetic domain evolution can provide visual insights into the strain-mediated magnetoelectric effect, and promote the fundamental understanding of electrical regulation of magnetism.