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Significance Statement
Ferromagnetic insulating (FMI) oxides have important applications in the design of multiferroic materials and fabrication of spin-filter tunnel barriers in spintronic applications. But unfortunately, apart from a few notable exceptions, FM oxides tend to be conducting. Therefore, the synthesis of new FMI oxides is an important and interesting challenge that must be addressed. In this regard, the FMI state induced by epitaxial strain in LaCoO3 (LCO) thin films is remarkable.[ Fuchs, et al. Phys. Rev. B 2007, 75, 144402.]
In this work we explored the magnetic behavior of LaCoO3 grown on a buffer layer of half-metallic FM La2/3Sr1/3MnO3 (LSMO) over SrTiO3 (STO). Our results confirmed a complete suppression of FM in LaCoO3 grown on top of a buffer layer of LSMO on STO, in spite of a lattice deformation identical to that achieved by direct growth on STO.
On the basis of this precise control over the magnetic properties of LaCoO3, we designed a multilayered structure to achieve independent rotation of the magnetization in ferromagnetic insulating LaCoO3 and half-metallic ferromagnet LSMO. This is an important step forward for the design of spin-filtering tunnel barriers based on LaCoO3.
Journal Reference
Nano Lett., 2016, 16 (3), pp 1736–1740.
Beatriz Rivas-Murias1, Irene Lucas2,3, Pilar Jiménez-Cavero2,3, César Magén3,4,5, Luis Morellón2,3, Francisco Rivadulla*1
[expand title=”Show Affiliations”]- Centro de Investigación en Química Biológica y Materiales Moleculares (CIQUS),Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
- Instituto de Nanociencia de Aragón (INA),Universidad de Zaragoza, Mariano Esquillor, Edificio I+D, 50018 Zaragoza,Spain
- Departamento Física de la Materia Condensada,Universidad de Zaragoza, Pedro Cerbuna 12, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
- Laboratorio de Microscopías Avanzadas (LMA),Instituto de Nanociencia de Aragón (INA), Mariano Esquillor, Edificio I+D, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain
- Fundación ARAID, 50018 Zaragoza,Spain
Abstract
We report the effect of interface symmetry-mismatch on the magnetic properties of LaCoO3(LCO) thin films. Growing epitaxial LCO under tensile strain on top of cubic SrTiO3 (STO) produces a contraction along the c axis and a characteristic ferromagnetic response. However, we report here that ferromagnetism in LaCoO3 is completely suppressed when grown on top of a buffer layer of rhombohedral La2/3Sr1/3MnO3 (LSMO), in spite of identical in-plane and out-of-plane lattice deformation. This confirms that it is the lattice symmetry mismatch and not just the total strain, which determines the magnetism of LCO. On the basis of this control over the magnetic properties of LaCoO3, we designed a multilayered structure to achieve independent rotation of the magnetization in ferromagnetic insulating LaCoO3 and half-metallic ferromagnet LSMO. This is an important step forward for the design of spin-filtering tunnel barriers based on LaCoO3.
Copyright © 2016 American Chemical Society.
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