Lattice‐mediated room temperature magnetoelectric effect in (1‐y)BiFe1‐xCrxO3‐yBaTi1‐xMnxO3 solid solutions

Abstract

AbstractElectric field (E) control of magnetism is a persistent challenge in low‐power consumption spintronic devices. A promising way to realize this control is to use the converse magnetoelectric (ME) effect in insulating multiferroics. Here, we report considerable and repeatable E‐modulated magnetization (M) at room temperature and even at 350 K via the significantly enhanced converse ME effect near the morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) of the Cr‐Mn co‐doped (1‐y)BiFe1‐xCrxO3‐yBaTi1‐xMnxO3 (0.15 ≤ y ≤ 0.33, 0 ≤ x ≤ 0.03) solid solutions. In situ X‐ray diffraction and Raman scattering experiments at different applied E for the sample near the MPB (i.e., y = 0.27, x = 0.03) show E‐induced shift, broadening, and splitting in the {002}PC reflection, as well as a nearly monotonous variation in intensity of several phonon modes with E, reminiscent of the E‐dependent M behavior. These results indicate that both E‐induced lattice distortion and phase transformation dominate the converse ME effects in these samples. Our demonstration of the E‐regulation of magnetism via the E‐sensitive crystal structures in designed insulating multiferroics near MPB may suggest a potential route to obtain efficient low‐power spintronic devices.