Fabrication and characterization of a magnetoelectric memory cell of 50Ba(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O3–50Ba0.7Ca0.3TiO3/Fe70Ga30

•Magnetoelectric memory of 50Ba(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O3–Ba0.7Ca0.3TiO3/Fe70Ga30 is obtained.•Electric field control of resistance is realized for the heterostructure.•The mechanism is believed to be the mechanical strain coupling.

We present a simple all-thin-film magnetoelectric memory cell with ferromagnetic film of Fe70Ga30 grown on ferroelectric film of 50Ba(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O3–50Ba0.7Ca0.3TiO3 (50BZT-50BCT) based on converse magnetoelectric effect. The heterostructure exhibits well-defined magnetic and piezoelectric behaviors. The 50BZT-50BCT layer acquires different strain states when an electric field is applied to the cell. Mechanical transduction couples this strain to the mechanically coupled Fe70Ga30 layer, which then changes its magnetic anisotropy and thus the magnetoresistance. Thus, a magnetoelectric memory cell with resistance as the media and electric field as the writing field was realized. The demonstrated electric field control of resistance states is a significant step towards exploring magnetoelectrically controlled spintronic devices for low-power and high density magnetic data storage applications.