Controlling the magnetic anisotropy in epitaxial Cr 2 O 3 clusters by an electric field

Magnetic properties of ${\mathrm{Cr}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ epitaxial clusters inserted in an Fe/MgO/Fe tunnel barrier are revealed by their tunnel magnetoresistance signature. The cluster assembly has been shown in a previous work to behave as a superparamagnet when a magnetic field was applied in the plane of the tunnel junction. We here demonstrate that an external large out-of plane electric field (in the order of 0.5 GV/m) favors in-plane magnetization orientation. This is due to an electric-field-induced magnetic anisotropy along the normal to the plane, corresponding to large anisotropy fields reaching up to 2 T. The assembly of clusters is thus strictly speaking not superparamagnetic and its magnetization cannot be exactly described by a Langevin law. This is attributed either to a strain-induced enhanced magnetoelectric effect or to a voltage-induced change of the magnetic anisotropy at interfaces with MgO.