Abstract
Mixed-valence manganite thin films are attractive for spintronic devices. Crystalline orientation is a promising route to tailor switching mechanisms, as magnetization reversal depends on the magnetic anisotropy. Here, magnetic properties of (111)-oriented La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 thin films are elucidated by correlating macroscopic and local properties. The coercive field is an order of magnitude lower than (001)-oriented La0.7Sr0.3MnO3. Locally, a 6-fold magnetic anisotropy is observed, while macroscopically, an isotropic response is prevailing. This local coupling between the symmetry of the (111)-facet and magnetization governs the domain reversal process, demonstrating that symmetry offers a route to control magnetic properties for spintronic devices.
Highlights
Mixed-valence manganite thin films are attractive for spintronic devices
To assess the case for implementation of these materials in spintronic devices, the physical properties of manganite thin films have been extensively studied as a function of epitaxial strain and chemical doping
In thin films of (001)-oriented La0.7Sr0.3MnO3, tensile strain confines the magnetization to be in the film plane,12 either with biaxial anisotropy along ⟨110⟩ directions due to the orbital structure11,13 or with uniaxial anisotropy aligned with the film step-edges. (110)-oriented thin films have an anisotropic Young’s modulus, so that magnetostriction dominates over crystalline effects in defining the magnetic anisotropy
Summary
Mixed-valence manganite thin films are attractive for spintronic devices. Crystalline orientation is a promising route to tailor switching mechanisms, as magnetization reversal depends on the magnetic anisotropy. The coercive fields obtained are typically an order of magnitude lower than those published for (001)-oriented films,13,20 which indicates that domain walls move freely without significant pinning.13 No apparent in-plane directional variation in coercive field or magnetization was found (see the supplementary material19), suggesting a macroscopically isotropic in-plane anisotropy of the samples, in accordance with bulk data.11,14
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