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The pulsed laser deposition of SrTiO3/LaGaO3 and SrTiO3/LaAlO3 interfaces is analyzed with a focus on the kinetic energy of the ablated species. LaGaO3 and LaAlO3 plasma plumes were studied by fast photography and space-resolved optical emission spectroscopy. Reflection high energy electron diffraction was performed proving a layer-by-layer growth up to 10-1 mbar oxygen pressure. The role of the energetic plasma plume on the two-dimensional growth and on the presence of interfacial defects at different oxygen growth pressures is discussed in connection with the conducting properties of the polar/nonpolar interfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors have performed experiments on current-induced domain wall (DW) displacement in La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 nanostructures patterned by gallium (Ga) focused-ion-beam milling. A dc current is found to assist or hinder, according to polarity, an external magnetic field in the depinning of a DW trapped in a nanoconstriction. For large enough currents, the DW depinning occurs in the absence of external magnetic field. The depinning current depends on the transverse anisotropy constant of the region toward which the DW is displaced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The magnetic and magnetotransport properties of La0.7Sr0.3MnO3/Permalloy heterostructures are investigated. La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 films were grown on (110) SrTiO3 in order to induce an in-plane anisotropy with the easy axis along the [001] direction. An easy axis of magnetization was induced in the Permalloy in the same direction through the application of a magnetic field during the growth. The magnetic characterization of the bilayer is presented and discussed. The transport properties of devices operated in the current perpendicular to plane mode are shown. The possibility of fabricating magnetoresistive devices by simply depositing a ferromagnetic counterelectrode on a manganite film is demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate pulsed laser deposition of LaGaO3/SrTiO3 at 10-1 mbar oxygen background pressure, demonstrating the critical effect of the target-to-substrate distance, dTS, on the interface sheet resistance, Rs. The interface turns from insulating to metallic by progressively decreasing dTS. The analysis of the LaGaO3 plume evidences the important role of the plume propagation dynamics on the interface properties. These results demonstrate the growth of conducting interfaces at an oxygen pressure of 10-1 mbar, an experimental condition where a well-oxygenated heterostructures with a reduced content of oxygen defects is expected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]