Superconducting straintronics via the proximity effect in superconductor-ferromagnet nanostructures

Area of Science:

• Condensed Matter Physics
• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Superconducting devices often rely on magnetic fields, leading to high power consumption.
• Strain engineering offers an alternative, low-power method for manipulating material properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and theoretically demonstrate superconducting straintronic devices.
• To investigate strain-mediated magnetoelectric control of critical temperature (Tc) in superconductor-ferromagnet heterostructures.

Main Methods:

• Theoretical modeling of critical temperature (Tc) as a function of magnetization misorientation angle (Δφ).
• Numerical calculations for CoFe/Nb/NiCu trilayers on ferroelectric substrates.
• Analysis of electric-field-induced magnetization rotations using magnetoelastic coupling.

Main Results:

• Significant changes in Tc (ΔTc ∼ 1 K) observed with variations in Δφ at optimal nanoscale thicknesses.
• Achieved up to 90° change in Δφ via electric fields due to opposing magnetoelastic coupling in CoFe and NiCu.
• Demonstrated electrical switching of the superconductor between superconducting and resistive states.

Conclusions:

• Proposed superconducting straintronic devices are feasible.
• Strain-mediated control of magnetism enables low-power, electrically switched superconducting devices.
• These devices are promising for memory and logic applications in cryogenic electronics.