Jia C.-L., Wei T.-L., Jiang C.-J., Xue D.-S., Sukhov A., and Berakdar J.
Phys. Rev. B 90, pp 054423 (2014)We work out theoretically a mechanism for magnetoelectric (ME) coupling driven by a buildup of an interfacial spiral spin density in ferromagnet (FM)/ferroelectric (FE) composites. We infer an intrinsic linear ME coupling that is most pronounced in the vicinity of the FM/FE interface acting within the spin-diffusion length λm of the order of nanometers. Our study delivers a strong coupling strength for Co(40 nm)/BaTiO3 that is in line with experiments. We identify a region of magnetic noncollinearity coupled to dielectric polarization that extends over λm around the interface, functionalizing the interface for electric control of magnetotransport and surface magnetic anisotropy.
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