Structure, Magnetism, and Transport of CuCr2Se4 Thin Films

Journal Article · Sun Apr 01 04:00:00 EDT 2007 · Journal of Magnetisim and Magnetic Materials

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmmm.2007.04.024· OSTI ID:932697

Bettinger, J S; Chopdekar, R V; Liberati, M; Neulinger, J R; Chshiev, M; Takamura, Y; Alldredge, L M.B.; Arenholz, E; Idzerda, Y U; Stacy, A M; Butler, W H; Suzuki, Y

We report the successful growth of highly spin-polarized chalcogenide thin films of CuCr{sub 2}Se{sub 4}, which are promising candidates for spin-based electronic applications. We also present electronic structure calculations for CuCr{sub 2}Se{sub 4} that, together with magnetic and transport data, imply that the stoichiometric compound is a metallic ferromagnet with a relatively low density of hole-like carriers at the Fermi energy. These calculations also predict that a deficiency of Se will deplete the minority density of states at the Fermi energy perhaps leading to a half-metal. We have successfully grown thin films of CuCr{sub 2}Se{sub 4} by pulsed laser deposition on isostructural MgAl{sub 2}O{sub 4} substrates followed by an anneal in a Se-rich environment. X-ray diffraction confirms the structure of CuCr{sub 2}Se{sub 4} on MgAl{sub 2}O{sub 4} substrates as well as a secondary phase of Cr{sub 2}Se{sub 3}. X-ray absorption spectroscopy indicates that the chemical structure at the surface of the films is similar to that of bulk CuCr{sub 2}Se{sub 4} single crystals. Magnetization measurements indicate that these films saturate with a magnetic moment close to 5 {micro}{sub B} per formula unit and a T{sub c} above 400 K. X-ray magnetic circular dichroism shows that the magnetism persists to the surface of the film. Resistivity and Hall effect measurements are consistent with a p-type ferromagnetic metallic behavior and with the electronic structure calculations.

• Research Organization: COLLABORATION - Department of Materials Scienceand Engineering, UC Berkeley, Berkeley,California
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-05CH11231
• OSTI ID: 932697
• Report Number(s): LBNL--63286
• Journal Information: Journal of Magnetisim and Magnetic Materials, Journal Name: Journal of Magnetisim and Magnetic Materials Journal Issue: 1-2 Vol. 318; ISSN 0304-8853; ISSN JMMMDC
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
ABSORPTION SPECTROSCOPY
CHALCOGENIDES
DEPOSITION
ELECTRONIC STRUCTURE
HALL EFFECT
LASERS
MAGNETIC CIRCULAR DICHROISM
MAGNETIC MOMENTS
MAGNETISM
MAGNETIZATION
MONOCRYSTALS
SUBSTRATES
THIN FILMS
TRANSPORT
X-RAY DIFFRACTION
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