Atomic-scale probe of molecular magneto-electric coupling

Abstract

Van der Waals heterostructures are a core tool in quantum material design. The recent addition of monolayer ferroelectrics expands the possibilities of designer materials. Ferroelectric domains can be manipulated using electric fields, thus opening a route for external control over material properties. In this paper we explore the possibility of engineering magneto-electric coupling in ferroelectric heterostructures by studying the interface of bilayer SnTe with iron phthalocyanine molecules as a model system. The molecules act as sensor spins, allowing us to sample the magneto-electric coupling with nanometer precision through scanning tunneling microscopy. Our measurements uncover a structural, and therefore material-independent and intrinsic, mechanism to couple electric and magnetic degrees of freedom at the nanoscale.