Designing multiferroic double perovskites Bi2BB'O6 for next-generation MagnetoElectric meMOries

Objective

Computers and electronic devices are essential, but the emerging concepts such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI), demand substantial power. Thus, a significant shift in computer hardware is necessary. However, Moore's law, which has driven microelectronics by scaling complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS-) transistors, is reaching its limit. Therefore, encoding information in collective order parameters using innovative materials and architectures becomes crucial for future advancements. Among the proposed approaches, electric-field control of magnetism through multiferroics stands out as the most promising pathway. In 2019, Intel proposed magnetoelectric spin-orbit (MESO) devices aiming to create low-power and dimensionally-scalable transistors that address the limitations of CMOS-based technology. Limited by the rarity of room-temperature multiferroics, this architecture primarily relies on the ferroelectric/antiferromagnetic compound BiFeO3. However, when Intel with CIC nanoGUNE realized the first complete MESO device in 2024, the device exhibited non-deterministic behavior due to the weak magnetoelectricity of BiFeO3. This highlights the urgent need for replacing BiFeO3 and achieve reliable performance in MESO devices. This research proposal aims to design bismuth-based double perovskites (Bi2BB’O6) as reliable alternatives to BiFeO3 for magnetoelectric memories. These materials uniquely combine room-temperature ferroelectricitywith ferro- or ferrimagnetism. The proposed compound will also simplify MESO memory structures. This experimental project will leverage advanced thin film growth facilities, including Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD) and sputtering techniques to stabilize and engineer these materials. The approach combines scanning probe microscopy and synchrotron-based spectroscopy and imaging to optimize their magnetoelectric response, ultimately ensuring the successful realization of these devices.