Converse magnetoelectric coupling in NiFe/Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3–PbTiO3 nanocomposite thin films grown on Si substrates

Multiferroic NiFe (∼30 nm)/Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3–PbTiO3(PMN–PT, ∼220 nm) bilayered thin films were grown on common Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates by a combination of off-axis magnetron sputtering and sol-gel spin-coating technique. By using AC-mode magneto-optical Kerr effect technique, the change in the Kerr signal (magnetization) of the NiFe upon applying a low-frequency AC voltage to the PMN–PT film was in situ acquired at zero magnetic field. The obtained Kerr signal versus voltage loop essentially tracks the electromechanical strain curve of the PMN–PT thin film, clearly demonstrating a strain-mediated converse magnetoelectric coupling, i.e., voltage-modulated magnetization, in the NiFe/PMN–PT nanocomposite thin films.