Lattice-mediated room temperature magnetoelectric effect in (1-y)BiFe_1-xCr_xO₃-yBaTi_1-xMn _xO₃ solid solutions

Electric field (E) control of magnetism is a persistent challenge in low-power consumption spintronic devices. A promising way to realize this control is to use the converse magnetoelectric (ME) effect in insulating multiferroics. Here, we report considerable and repeatable E-modulated magnetization (M) at room temperature and even at 350 K via the significantly enhanced converse ME effect near the morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) of the Cr-Mn co-doped (1-y)BiFe1-xCrxO3-yBaTi(1-x)Mn(x)O(3) (0.15 <= y <= 0.33, 0 <= x <= 0.03) solid solutions. In situ X-ray diffraction and Raman scattering experiments at different applied E for the sample near the MPB (i.e., y = 0.27, x = 0.03) show E-induced shift, broadening, and splitting in the {002}(PC) reflection, as well as a nearly monotonous variation in intensity of several phonon modes with E, reminiscent of the E-dependent M behavior. These results indicate that both E-induced lattice distortion and phase transformation dominate the converse ME effects in these samples. Our demonstration of the E-regulation of magnetism via the E-sensitive crystal structures in designed insulating multiferroics near MPB may suggest a potential route to obtain efficient low-power spintronic devices.