Data from: Generation and annihilation of local magnetic moments by electric field

Electric field control of magnetism is highly desirable for designing next-generation spintronic devices. However, the switching effect of local magnetic moments using external electric field has rarely been demonstrated. Here, we discover a unique magnetoelectric coupling mechanism that is independent of spin-orbit coupling and enables electric field control of local magnetic moments via a switchable breathing mode. The breathing mode in the MX3 monolayer system is driven by the Jahn-Teller effect. However, unlike the conventional Jahn-Teller distortion that splits the degenerate crystal field orbitals, it breaks the degeneracy between adjacent clusters and induces charge transfer. The breathing mode can be switched by an external electric field, achieving the reversible generation and annihilation of cluster magnetic moments. The reversal of magnetization by electric field can be achieved by designing a prototype device of magnetoelectric random access memory. This work provides new insights into the control of magnetism by electric field and inspires the design of novel spintronics and magneto-optical devices.