Microstructures and the corresponding magnetic properties of half-doped Nd0.5Sr0.5MnO3 films

The microstructural and magnetic properties of amorphous, nanoclustered, and self-organized bilayer Nd0.5Sr0.5MnO3 films, prepared by rf magnetron sputtering, are investigated. The amorphous film was found to be a typical paramagnet with free motion of the individual Mn spins, and the magnetic properties are well described on the basis of the Curie–Weiss approximation. The nanoclustered film manifests magnetic properties mimicking those of superparamagnetic particles following nonclassical magnetic dynamics. The self-organized bilayer film demonstrates a negative exchange bias typical of a ferromagnet/antiferromagnet hybrid system, in spite of the fact that both layers have a ferromagnetic origin. The magnetic properties of the films are discussed in detail on the basis of modern theoretical models.
Applied Sciences