Strain induced ferromagnetism in epitaxial Cr{sub 2}O{sub 3} thin films integrated on Si(001)
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695 (United States)
We report on the epitaxial growth and magnetic properties of antiferromagnetic and magnetoelectric (ME) Cr{sub 2}O{sub 3} thin films deposited on cubic yttria stabilized zirconia (c-YSZ)/Si(001) using pulsed laser deposition. The X-ray diffraction (2ϴ and Φ) and TEM characterizations confirm that the films were grown epitaxially. The Cr{sub 2}O{sub 3}(0001) growth on YSZ(001) occurs with twin domains. There are four domains of Cr{sub 2}O{sub 3} with in-plane rotation of 30° or 150° from each other about the [0001] growth direction. The epitaxial relation between the layers is given as [001]Si ‖ [001]YSZ ‖ [0001]Cr{sub 2}O{sub 3} and [100]Si ǁ [100]YSZ ǁ [101{sup ¯}0] Cr{sub 2}O{sub 3} or [112{sup ¯}0] Cr{sub 2}O{sub 3}. Though the bulk Cr{sub 2}O{sub 3} is an antiferromagnetic with T{sub N} = 307 K, we found that the films exhibit ferromagnetic like hysteresis loops with high saturation and finite coercive field up to 400 K. The thickness dependent magnetizations together with oxygen annealing results suggest that the ferromagnetism (FM) is due to oxygen related defects whose concentration is controlled by strain present in the films. This FM, in addition to the intrinsic magneto-electric properties of Cr{sub 2}O{sub 3}, opens the door to relevant spintronics applications.
- OSTI ID:
- 22350801
- Journal Information:
- Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 105, Issue 13; Other Information: (c) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0003-6951
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
ANTIFERROMAGNETISM
CHROMIUM OXIDES
CRYSTAL DEFECTS
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
ENERGY BEAM DEPOSITION
EPITAXY
FERROMAGNETISM
HYSTERESIS
LASER RADIATION
MAGNETIC PROPERTIES
MAGNETIZATION
SATURATION
SILICON
STRAINS
THICKNESS
THIN FILMS
TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
X-RAY DIFFRACTION
YTTRIUM OXIDES
ZIRCONIUM OXIDES