Abstract
Electric field modulations of magnetism in ferromagnetic metals are in general ascribed to the electric field effects on the orbitals. However, a direct observation of the electric-field-induced changes in the orbital states of a ferromagnetic metal is lacking. In this Rapid Communication, we demonstrate that an electric field applied to an ultrathin Co film can change the electron occupations according to the orbitals, combining x-ray absorption and x-ray magnetic circularly dichroism spectroscopies with the sum rules. Under a positive electric field, the -occupied states decrease mainly via the modification of orbital hybridizations, while the -occupied state increases. The changes in the and states dominantly alter the Curie temperature.
- Received 4 September 2019
- Accepted 13 August 2020
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.102.100407
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