Non volatile ferroelastic switching of the Verwey transition and resistivity of epitaxial Fe3O4/PMN PT (011)
A central goal of electronics based on correlated materials or 'Mottronics' is the ability to switch between distinct collective states with a control voltage. Small changes in structure and charge density near a transition can tip the balance between competing phases, leading to dramatic changes in electronic and magnetic properties. In this work, we demonstrate that an electric field induced two step ferroelastic switching pathway in (011) oriented 0.71Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3 0.29PbTiO3 (PMN PT) substrates can be used to tune the Verwey metal insulator transition in epitaxial Fe3O4 films in a stable and reversible manner. We also observe robust non volatile resistance switching in Fe3O4 up to room temperature, driven by ferroelastic strain. These results provides a framework for realizing non volatile and reversible tuning of order parameters coupled to lattice strain in epitaxial oxide heterostructures over a broad range of temperatures, with potential device applications.
Scientific reports