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Title: Removal of the Magnetic Dead Layer by Geometric Design

Abstract

Abstract The proximity effect is used to engineer interface effects such as magnetoelectric coupling, exchange bias, and emergent interfacial magnetism. However, the presence of a magnetic “dead layer” adversely affects the functionality of a heterostructure. Here, it is shown that by utilizing (111) polar planes, the magnetization of a manganite ultrathin layer can be maintained throughout its thickness. Combining structural characterization, magnetometry measurements, and magnetization depth profiling with polarized neutron reflectometry, it is found that the magnetic dead layer is absent in the (111)‐oriented manganite layers, however, it occurs in the films with other orientations. Quantitative analysis of local structural and elemental spatial evolutions using scanning transmission electron microscopy and electron energy loss spectroscopy reveals that atomically sharp interfaces with minimal chemical intermixing in the (111)‐oriented superlattices. The polar discontinuity across the (111) interfaces inducing charge redistribution within the SrTiO 3 layers is suggested, which promotes ferromagnetism throughout the (111)‐oriented ultrathin manganite layers. The approach of eliminating problematic magnetic dead layers by changing the crystallographic orientation suggests a conceptually useful recipe to engineer the intriguing physical properties of oxide interfaces, especially in low dimensionality.

Authors:
ORCiD logo [1];  [2]; ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [3]; ORCiD logo [3]; ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [3]; ORCiD logo [4]; ORCiD logo [3]; ORCiD logo [3]; ORCiD logo [5]
  1. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Neutron Scattering Division
  2. Arizona State Univ., Tempe, AZ (United States). Eyring Materials Center
  3. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Materials Science & Technology Division
  4. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Center for Nanophase Materials Science (CNMS)
  5. Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States). Dept. of Physics and Astronomy
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES) (SC-22). Materials Sciences & Engineering Division; USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
1439929
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1439259
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC05-00OR22725
Resource Type:
Journal Article: Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Advanced Functional Materials
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 30; Journal ID: ISSN 1616-301X
Publisher:
Wiley
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; charge discontinuity; interfacial magnetization; magnetic tunneling junction; manganite; polarized neutron reflectometry

Citation Formats

Guo, Er-jia, Roldan, Manuel, Charlton, Timothy R., Liao, Zhaoliang, Zheng, Qiang, Ambaye, Haile Arena, Herklotz, Andreas, Gai, Zheng, Ward, Thomas Zac, Lee, Ho Nyung, and Fitzsimmons, Michael R. Removal of the Magnetic Dead Layer by Geometric Design. United States: N. p., 2018. Web. doi:10.1002/adfm.201800922.
Guo, Er-jia, Roldan, Manuel, Charlton, Timothy R., Liao, Zhaoliang, Zheng, Qiang, Ambaye, Haile Arena, Herklotz, Andreas, Gai, Zheng, Ward, Thomas Zac, Lee, Ho Nyung, & Fitzsimmons, Michael R. Removal of the Magnetic Dead Layer by Geometric Design. United States. https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.201800922
Guo, Er-jia, Roldan, Manuel, Charlton, Timothy R., Liao, Zhaoliang, Zheng, Qiang, Ambaye, Haile Arena, Herklotz, Andreas, Gai, Zheng, Ward, Thomas Zac, Lee, Ho Nyung, and Fitzsimmons, Michael R. 2018. "Removal of the Magnetic Dead Layer by Geometric Design". United States. https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.201800922. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1439929.
@article{osti_1439929,
title = {Removal of the Magnetic Dead Layer by Geometric Design},
author = {Guo, Er-jia and Roldan, Manuel and Charlton, Timothy R. and Liao, Zhaoliang and Zheng, Qiang and Ambaye, Haile Arena and Herklotz, Andreas and Gai, Zheng and Ward, Thomas Zac and Lee, Ho Nyung and Fitzsimmons, Michael R.},
abstractNote = {Abstract The proximity effect is used to engineer interface effects such as magnetoelectric coupling, exchange bias, and emergent interfacial magnetism. However, the presence of a magnetic “dead layer” adversely affects the functionality of a heterostructure. Here, it is shown that by utilizing (111) polar planes, the magnetization of a manganite ultrathin layer can be maintained throughout its thickness. Combining structural characterization, magnetometry measurements, and magnetization depth profiling with polarized neutron reflectometry, it is found that the magnetic dead layer is absent in the (111)‐oriented manganite layers, however, it occurs in the films with other orientations. Quantitative analysis of local structural and elemental spatial evolutions using scanning transmission electron microscopy and electron energy loss spectroscopy reveals that atomically sharp interfaces with minimal chemical intermixing in the (111)‐oriented superlattices. The polar discontinuity across the (111) interfaces inducing charge redistribution within the SrTiO 3 layers is suggested, which promotes ferromagnetism throughout the (111)‐oriented ultrathin manganite layers. The approach of eliminating problematic magnetic dead layers by changing the crystallographic orientation suggests a conceptually useful recipe to engineer the intriguing physical properties of oxide interfaces, especially in low dimensionality.},
doi = {10.1002/adfm.201800922},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1439929}, journal = {Advanced Functional Materials},
issn = {1616-301X},
number = ,
volume = 30,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon May 28 00:00:00 EDT 2018},
month = {Mon May 28 00:00:00 EDT 2018}
}

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Cited by: 20 works
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Figures / Tables:

Table 1 Table 1: List of parameters (the LSMO layer thickness, the magnetizations of individual (interior and topmost) LSMO layers, and the average interfacial roughness) obtained from combined PNR and XRR fittings using GenX. Region numbers represent the areas in the individual LSMO layer (I) close to the substrate, (II) in themore » middle part, and (III) close to the sample's top surface, respectively« less

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Works referencing / citing this record:

Figures/Tables have been extracted from DOE-funded journal article accepted manuscripts.