A depth-resolved study of magnetoelectric coupling in multiferroic PMN-PT/FeRh using PNR

Multiferroic systems allow the modulation of magnetic properties through electric potentials. Advances in engineering atomic interfaces of heterogeneous thin-films have enabled a significant increase in magnetoelectric coupling compared with conventional single phase materials. This opens a range of interesting and exciting possibilities for new spintronic devices with applications in next-generation data storage technologies, such as antiferromagnetic memory resistors. One system with real potential is FeRh where a change in lattice parameter accompanies a change from anti- to ferro-magnetic ordering. Here we propose to use PNR to investigate this metamagnetic transition by manipulating the strain in FeRh thin films using ferroelectric PMN-PT substrates. The key objective of this work is to identify depth-dependent interplay between electric field and magnetic order in this system.