265 research outputs found
Superconductivity in spinel oxide LiTi2O4 epitaxial thin films
LiTi2O4 is a unique material in that it is the only known oxide spinel
superconductor. Although bulk studies have demonstrated that superconductivity
can be generally described by the Bardeen-Cooper-Schreiffer theory, the
microscopic mechanisms of superconductivity are not yet resolved fully. The
sensitivity of the superconducting properties to various defects of the spinel
crystal structure provides insight into such mechanisms. Epitaxial films of
LiTi2O4 on single crystalline substrates of MgAl2O4, MgO, and SrTiO3 provide
model systems to systematically explore the effects of lattice strain and
microstructural disorder. Lattice strain that affects bandwidth gives rise to
limited variations in the superconducting and normal state properties.
Microstructural disorder such as antiphase boundaries that give rise to Ti
network disorder can reduce the critical temperature, but Ti network disorder
combined with Mg interdiffusion can affect the superconducting state much more
dramatically. Thickness dependent transport studies indicate a
superconductor-insulator transition as a function of film thickness regardless
of lattice strain and microstructure. In addition, surface sensitive X-ray
absorption spectroscopy has identified Ti to retain site symmetry and average
valence of the bulk material regardless of film thickness.Comment: 25 pages, 7 figures, v2 - expanded Fig 1,2,7 with added discussion
The role of magnetic anisotropy in spin filter junctions
We have fabricated oxide based spin filter junctions in which we demonstrate
that magnetic anisotropy can be used to tune the transport behavior of spin
filter junctions. Until recently, spin filters have been largely comprised of
polycrystalline materials where the spin filter barrier layer and one of the
electrodes are ferromagnetic. These spin filter junctions have relied on the
weak magnetic coupling between one ferromagnetic electrode and a barrier layer
or the insertion of a nonmagnetic insulating layer in between the spin filter
barrier and electrode. We have demonstrated spin filtering behavior in
La0.7Sr0.3MnO3/chromite/Fe3O4 junctions without nonmagnetic spacer layers where
the interface anisotropy plays a significant role in determining transport
behavior. Detailed studies of chemical and magnetic structure at the interfaces
indicate that abrupt changes in magnetic anisotropy across the
non-isostructural interface is the cause of the significant suppression of
junction magnetoresistance in junctions with MnCr2O4 barrier layers.Comment: 7 pages, 7 figure
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Controlling antiferromagnetic domains in patterned La0.7Sr0.3FeO3 thin films
Transition metal oxide thin films and heterostructures are promising platforms to achieve full control of the antiferromagnetic (AFM) domain structure in patterned features as needed for AFM spintronic devices. In this work, soft x-ray photoemission electron microscopy was utilized to image AFM domains in micromagnets patterned into La0.7Sr0.3FeO3 (LSFO) thin films and La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 (LSMO)/LSFO superlattices. A delicate balance exists between magnetocrystalline anisotropy, shape anisotropy, and exchange interactions such that the AFM domain structure can be controlled using parameters such as LSFO and LSMO layer thickness, micromagnet shape, and temperature. In LSFO thin films, shape anisotropy gains importance only in micromagnets where at least one extended edge is aligned parallel to an AFM easy axis. In contrast, in the limit of ultrathin LSFO layers in the LSMO/LSFO superlattice, shape anisotropy effects dominate such that the AFM spin axes at micromagnet edges can be aligned along any in-plane crystallographic direction
Magnetism and Magnetotransport in Complex Oxide Thin Film Heterostructures
The nature of magnetism at thin film surfaces and interfaces is not yet fully understood, yet it is quite important for both fundamental studies and technological applications. In this dissertation, I present a study of the magnetism and magnetotransport in single thin film layers as well as at interfaces of Fe3O4/spinel chromite/LSMO and Fe3O4/spinel chromite/Fe3O4 heterostructures. To begin with, investigations of single layer thin films on metallic oxides such as perovskite structure SrRuO3 and spinel structure LiTi2O4 elucidate the dependence of transport properties on parameters such as thickness, film strain state, and crystal orientation. In addition, the magnetism of CoFe2O4 thin films is examined while dynamically altering the strain state via the temperature-dependent lattice parameter of piezoelectric BaTiO3 substrates.
Detailed spectroscopy experiments indicate that magnetism at the (110) LSMO and (111) LSMO surfaces are not suppressed compared to (001) LSMO interfaces. In addition, no magnetic coupling was observed between LSMO and spinel chromite layers above 100K. In contrast, the (110) Fe3O4 surface exhibited a significant change in anisotropy accompanied by an enhanced magnetization in the spinel chromite layer to beyond room temperature. At the isostructural interface, there is strong ferromagnetic coupling between Fe and Cr ions in bilayers. Our results on Fe3O4 and LSMO surfaces, combined with measurements on the angular, field and temperature dependence of junctions with LSMO and Fe3O4 electrodes, indicate that spin polarization is not intrinsically suppressed at a surface or interface but that magnetization and spin polarization depends on the crystal surface orientation, strain state and surface or interface reconstruction.This research was supported by the Office of Naval Research (N00014-97-1-0564) and the Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Division of Materials Sciences and Engineering, of the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract No. DE-AC02-05CH11231
Potential barrier lowering and electrical transport at the LaAlO/SrTiO heterointerface
Using a combination of vertical transport measurements across and lateral
transport measurements along the LaAlO/SrTiO heterointerface, we
demonstrate that significant potential barrier lowering and band bending are
the cause of interfacial metallicity. Barrier lowering and enhanced band
bending extends over 2.5 nm into LaAlO as well as SrTiO. We explain
origins of high-temperature carrier saturation, lower carrier concentration,
and higher mobility in the sample with the thinnest LaAlO film on a
SrTiO substrate. Lateral transport results suggest that parasitic
interface scattering centers limit the low-temperature lateral electron
mobility of the metallic channel.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figures, and 1 tabl
Electrical transport and ferromagnetism in Ga1-xMnxAs synthesized by ion implantation and pulsed-laser melting
We present a detailed investigation of the magnetic and magnetotransport
properties of thin films of ferromagnetic Ga1-xMnxAs synthesized using ion
implantation and pulsed-laser melting (II-PLM). The field and
temperature-dependent magnetization, magnetic anisotropy, temperature-dependent
resistivity, magnetoresistance, and Hall effect of II-PLM Ga1-xMnxAs films have
all of the characteristic signatures of the strong p-d interaction of holes and
Mn ions observed in the dilute hole-mediated ferromagnetic phase. The
ferromagnetic and electrical transport properties of II-PLM films correspond to
the peak substitutional Mn concentration meaning that the non-uniform Mn depth
distribution is unimportant in determining the film properties. Good
quantitative agreement is found with films grown by low temperature molecular
beam epitaxy (LT-MBE) and having the similar substitutional Mn_Ga composition.
Additionally, we demonstrate that II-PLM Ga1-xMnxAs films are free from
interstitial Mn_I because of the high temperature processing. At high Mn
implantation doses the kinetics of solute redistribution during solidification
alone determine the maximum resulting Mn_Ga concentration. Uniaxial anisotropy
between in-plane [-110]and [110] directions is present in II-PLM Ga1-xMnxAs
giving evidence for this being an intrinsic property of the carrier-mediated
ferromagnetic phase
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Phase transitions and magnetic domain coexistence in Nd0.5Sr0.5MnO3 thin films
We present a study of the physical properties of perovskite oxide Nd0.5Sr0.5MnO3 (NSMO) thin films grown on (110)-oriented SrTiO3 substrates. In bulk form, NSMO displays coupled magnetic and electronic transitions from paramagnetic/insulator to ferromagnetic (FM)/metal and then to antiferromagnetic (AFM)/charge-ordered insulator with decreasing temperature. In thin films, the AFM ordering only occurs when the films exist in an anisotropic strain state such as those obtained on (110)-oriented cubic substrates. In this work, resonant X-ray reflectivity, soft X-ray photoemission electron microscopy (X-PEEM), and magnetometry measurements showed that the NSMO film displays both vertical and lateral magnetic phase separation. Specifically, the film consists of three layers with different density and magnetic properties. The FM and AFM properties of the main NSMO layer were probed as a function of temperature using soft X-ray magnetic spectroscopy, and the coexistence of lateral FM and AFM domains was demonstrated at 110 K using X-PEEM
Probing the Role of the Barrier Layer in Magnetic Tunnel Junction Transport
Magnetic tunnel junctions with a ferrimagnetic barrier layer have been
studied to understand the role of the barrier layer in the tunneling process -
a factor that has been largely overlooked until recently. Epitaxial oxide
junctions of highly spin polarized La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 and Fe3O4 electrodes with
magnetic NiMn2O4 (NMO) insulating barrier layers provide a magnetic tunnel
junction system in which we can probe the effect of the barrier by comparing
junction behavior above and below the Curie temperature of the barrier layer.
When the barrier is paramagnetic, the spin polarized transport is dominated by
interface scattering and surface spin waves; however, when the barrier is
ferrimagnetic, spin flip scattering due to spin waves within the NMO barrier
dominates the transport.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figure
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Direct imaging of long-range ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic order in a dipolar metamaterial
Magnetic metamaterials such as artificial spin ice offer a route to tailor magnetic properties. Such materials can be fabricated by lithographically defining arrays of nanoscale magnetic islands. The magnetostatic interactions between the elements are influenced by their shape and geometric arrangement and can lead to long-range ordering. We demonstrate how the magnetic order in a two-dimensional periodic array of circular disks is controlled by the lattice symmetry. Antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic order extending through the entire array is observed for the square and hexagonal lattice, respectively. Furthermore, we show that a minute deviation from perfect circularity of the elements along a preferred direction results in room-temperature blocking and favors collinear spin textures
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