Electric Field‐Induced Perpendicular Magnetization Switching via Piezostrain‐Mediated Orbital Reconfiguration in RKKY‐Interacted Multilayers for Encrypted Memory and Complementary Logics

Abstract The control of magnetization by an electric field is one of the most promising solutions for future energy‐efficient memory storage and processors beyond current cutting‐edge spin‐torque‐based devices. However, it is difficult to achieve fully electric field‐induced deterministic magnetization switching, as electric fields cannot break the time‐reversal symmetry in a single ferromagnet. In this work, a novel magnetization control strategy is proposed involving two coupled out‐of‐plane magnetic layers of (Pt/Co) 2 /Ru/(Co/Pt) 2 with a strain‐tunable Ruderman–Kittel–Kasuya–Yosida interaction between the antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic coupling states. Fully electric field‐induced nonvolatile perpendicular magnetization switching of the upper (Co/Pt) 2 free layer is obtained, where the bottom (Pt/Co) 2 is a preset fixed layer that determines the switching sense of the upper (Co/Pt) 2 free layer under identical applied electric field. On this basis, this work demonstrates the potential functions of this process for encrypted memory and complementary Boolean logic gates. Both X‐ray absorption spectroscopy and first‐principles calculations confirm that this effect arises from the strain‐mediated orbital reconfiguration of Co and its controlled overlap of localized and conductive electrons. These findings provide a feasible solution for pure electric field‐controlled spintronic devices, as well as helping to enrich the field of strain‐related orbital physics.