2D Multiferroicity with Ferroelectric Switching Induced Spin-Constrained Photoelectricity

Multiferroic materials with tunable magnetoelectric orders enable the integration of sensing, data storage, and processing into one single device. The scarcity of single-phase multiferroics spurs extensive research in pursuit of composite systems combining different types of ferroic materials. In this work, spin-constrained photoelectric memory is proposed in two-dimensional (2D) layered magnetic/ferroelectric heterostructures, holding the possibility of low-power electrical write operation and nondestructive optical read operation. The ground state of ferromagnetic (FM) and antiferromagnetic (AFM) orderings in the magnetic layer is altered by polarization direction of the ferroelectric layer. Specifically, the FM heterostructure exhibits a type-II band alignment. Due to the light-induced charge transfer, spin-polarized/unpolarized current arises from the FM/AFM state, which can be recorded as the “1”/“0” state and served for logic processing and memory applications. Our first-principles calculations demonstrate that the NiI2/In2Se3 heterobilayer is an ideal candidate to realize such a spin-dependent photoelectric memory. The reversible FM state (easy-axis magnetic anisotropy) and AFM state (easy-plane magnetic orientation) in the NiI2 layer originate from interfacial charge transfer and effective electric field due to the proximity effect. This work offers considerable potential in the integration of memory processing capability into one single device with 2D layered multiferroic heterostructures.