%0 Journal Article
%K Electrochemistry
%K magnetic field
%K room temperature
%K kinetics
%K reaction kinetics
%K Polarization
%K Magnetism
%K electric field
%K Article
%K priority journal
%K Theoretical study
%K Magnetization
%K rotation
%K thermodynamics
%K torque
%K electric conductivity
%A J.T Heron
%A J.L Bosse
%A Q He
%A Y Gao
%A M Trassin
%A L Ye
%A J.D Clarkson
%A C W Wang
%A J F Liu
%A S Salahuddin
%A D.C Ralph
%A D.G Schlom
%A J Íñiguez
%A B.D Huey
%A Ramamoorthy Ramesh
%B Nature
%D 2014
%G eng
%I Nature Publishing Group
%P 370-373
%R 10.1038/nature14004
%T Deterministic switching of ferromagnetism at room temperature using an electric field
%V 516
%X The technological appeal of multiferroics is the ability to control magnetism with electric field1-3. For devices to be useful, such control must be achieved at room temperature. The only single-phase multiferroicmaterial exhibiting unambiguousmagnetoelectric coupling at room temperature is BiFeO3 (refs 4 and 5). Its weak ferromagnetismarises fromthe canting of the antiferromagnetically aligned spins by the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya (DM) interaction6-9. Prior theory considered the symmetry of the thermodynamic ground state and concluded that direct 180-degree switching of theDMvector by the ferroelectric polarization was forbidden10,11. Instead, we examined the kinetics of the switching process, something not considered previously in theoretical work10-12. Here we show a deterministic reversal of theDMvector and cantedmoment using an electric field at roomtemperature. First-principles calculations reveal that the switching kinetics favours a two-step switching process. In each step the DMvector and polarization are coupled and 180-degree deterministic switching of magnetization hence becomes possible, in agreement with experimental observation. We exploit this switching to demonstrate energy-efficient control of a spin-valve device at room temperature. The energy per unit area required is approximately an order of magnitude less than that needed for spin-transfer torque switching13,14.Given that theDMinteraction is fundamental to singlephasemultiferroics andmagnetoelectrics3,9, our results suggest ways to engineermagnetoelectric switching and tailor technologically pertinent functionality for nanometre-scale, low-energy-consumption, non-volatile magnetoelectronics. © 2014 Macmillan Publishers Limited.