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Published Online July 10, 2003
Science DOI: 10.1126/science.1086608

Reports

Submitted on May 8, 2003
Accepted on June 26, 2003

Electrical Manipulation of Magnetization Reversal in a Ferromagnetic Semiconductor

D. Chiba 1, M. Yamanouchi 1, F. Matsukura 1, H. Ohno 2*

1 Laboratory for Electronic Intelligent Systems, Research Institute of Electrical Communication, Tohoku University, Katahira 2-1-1, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8577, Japan.
2 Laboratory for Electronic Intelligent Systems, Research Institute of Electrical Communication, Tohoku University, Katahira 2-1-1, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8577, Japan; Semiconductor Spintronics Project, ERATO, Japan Science and Technology Corporation, Japan.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: ohno{at}riec.tohoku.ac.jp.

We report electrical manipulation of magnetization processes in a ferromagnetic semiconductor, in which low-density carriers are responsible for the ferromagnetic interaction. The coercive force HC at which magnetization reversal occurs can be manipulated by modifying the carrier density through application of electric fields in a gated structure. Electrically assisted magnetization reversal, as well as electrical demagnetization, has been demonstrated using the effect. This electrical manipulation offers a functionality not previously accessible in magnetic materials and may become useful for reversing magnetization of nanoscale bits for ultrahigh-density information storage.


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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)