Highly controllable switching pathways in multiferroic GdMn2O5

Controlling magnetic moments using electric fields remains a central challenge in spintronics. Multiferroics, where magnetic and electric orders coexist, may be a natural platform for such control, but progress has been limited because interactions between these orders are typically too weak to overcome the energy barriers between magnetic states. A recently demonstrated topologically protected switching circumvents this limitation by exploiting reduced barriers at a phase transition. Nevertheless, the conditions enabling this phenomenon remain elusive and electric field control is poorly understood. Here, we experimentally map the energy landscape by tracking transitions in GdMn2O5 under combined electric and magnetic fields. The experiments reveal that the switching pathways can be controlled by the electric field. A minimal theoretical model captures the observed behavior, identifies the parameter space where switching paths are sensitive to small perturbations and reveals design principles for implementing topological switching in other materials. Controlling magnetic moments with electric fields is a key challenge in spintronics, and multiferroics offer a natural platform for such control. Here, the authors experimentally map the energy landscape of GdMn2O5, revealing that electric fields can control switching pathways, and provide a theoretical model that identifies conditions for topological switching, offering design principles for future materials.