Ferroelectrics: A new spin on spintronics

The use of interface effects for low-power-consumption spintronic devices with the help of a ferroelectric tunnel junction to control the spin polarization of adjacent magnetic electrodes is discussed. The ever-increasing demand for faster, smaller and non-volatile electronics is pushing the limits of present semiconductor-based information processing and storage systems. Ferromagnetic layers in contact with an anti-ferromagnet exhibit an interfacial magnetic coupling termed as exchange bias coupling. Theoretical calculations have predicted the possibility of significant changes in the interfacial magnetization and spin polarization in a ferromagnet in response to the ferroelectric polarization state across the interface. Ferromagnetism and spin polarization can be controlled and manipulated through a coupling of a magnetic layer to a ferroelectric or a multiferroic.