1. Observation of the Strain Induced Magnetic Phase Segregation in Manganite Thin Films
- Author
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Lorena Marín, Pedro A. Algarabel, M. Ricardo Ibarra, Irene Lucas, Luis A. Rodríguez, Luis Morellón, Rémi Arras, José María de Teresa, Etienne Snoeck, César Magén, Instituto de Nanociencia de Aragón [Saragoza, España] (INA), University of Zaragoza - Universidad de Zaragoza [Zaragoza], Departamento de Física de la Materia Condensada, Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Aragón [Saragoza, España] (ICMA-CSIC), Centre d'élaboration de matériaux et d'études structurales (CEMES), Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Chimie de Toulouse (ICT-FR 2599), Institut National Polytechnique (Toulouse) (Toulouse INP), Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Institut de Chimie du CNRS (INC)-Institut National Polytechnique (Toulouse) (Toulouse INP), Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut de Chimie du CNRS (INC)-Institut National des Sciences Appliquées - Toulouse (INSA Toulouse), Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA)-Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA), European Commission, Universidad de Zaragoza, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (España), Gobierno de Aragón, Institut National des Sciences Appliquées - Toulouse (INSA Toulouse), Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA)-Université de Toulouse (UT)-Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA)-Université de Toulouse (UT)-Institut de Chimie de Toulouse (ICT), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Université de Toulouse (UT)-Université de Toulouse (UT)-Institut de Chimie du CNRS (INC)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National Polytechnique (Toulouse) (Toulouse INP), Université de Toulouse (UT)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Université de Toulouse (UT)-Institut de Chimie du CNRS (INC)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National Polytechnique (Toulouse) (Toulouse INP), and Université de Toulouse (UT)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
- Subjects
Phase segregations ,Nonferromagnetic layers ,Materials science ,Ground state ,Thin films ,Holography ,Phase separation ,Theoretical calculations ,Bioengineering ,Lanthanum compounds ,Electron holography ,Strain engineering ,Phase segregation ,Manganese oxide ,Manganites ,Phase (matter) ,Epitaxial growth ,Antiferromagnetism ,General Materials Science ,Thin film ,Condensed matter physics ,Mechanical Engineering ,Single crystal substrates ,General Chemistry ,Condensed Matter Physics ,Manganite ,Exchange bias ,Ferromagnetism ,Epitaxial thin films ,[PHYS.COND.CM-MS]Physics [physics]/Condensed Matter [cond-mat]/Materials Science [cond-mat.mtrl-sci] ,Single crystals ,Different substrates ,Surface segregation - Abstract
Epitaxial strain alters the physical properties of thin films grown on single crystal substrates. Thin film oxides are particularly apt for strain engineering new functionalities in ferroic materials. In the case of La2/3Ca1/3MnO3 (LCMO) thin films, here we show the first experimental images obtained by electron holography demonstrating that epitaxial strain induces the segregation of a flat and uniform nonferromagnetic layer with antiferromagnetic (AFM) character at the top surface of a ferromagnetic (FM) layer, the whole film being chemical and structurally homogeneous at room temperature. For different substrates and growth conditions the tetragonality of LCMO at room temperature, defined as τ = |c – a|/a, is the driving force for a phase coexistence above an approximate critical value of τC ≈ 0.024. Theoretical calculations prove that the increased tetragonality changes the energy balance of the FM and AFM ground states in strained LCMO, enabling the formation of magnetically inhomogeneous states. This work gives the key evidence that opens a new route to synthesize strain-induced exchanged-biased FM–AFM bilayers in single thin films, which could serve as building blocks of future spintronic devices., This work was supported by Spanish Ministry of Science through projects No. MAT2011-28532-C03-02 and MAT2011-27553-C02 including FEDER funding, by the Aragon Regional Government through projects E26 and CTPP4/11, by the Universidad de Zaragoza through the contract PIF-UZ-2009-CIE-02, and by the European Union under the Seventh Framework Programme under a contract for an Integrated Infrastructure Initiative Reference 312483-ESTEEM2.
- Published
- 2014
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