The magnetic structure of exchange-coupled antiferromagnetic (AF) layers in epitaxial La 0.7 Sr 0.3 MnO 3 (LSMO)/La 0.7 Sr 0.3 FeO 3 (LSFO) superlattices grown on (111)-oriented SrTiO 3 substrates was studied using angle-dependent x-ray absorption spectroscopy utilizing linearly polarized x rays. We demonstrate the development of the measurement protocols needed to determine the orientation of the LSFO antiferromagnetic spin axis and how it responds to an applied magnetic field due to exchange interactions with an adjacent ferromagnetic layer. A small energy difference exists between two types of AF order: the majority of the AF moments cant out-of-the-plane of the film along the 110 or 100 directions depending on the LSFO layer thickness. In response to an applied magnetic field, these canted moments are aligned with a single 110 or 100 direction that maintains a nearly perpendicular orientation relative to the LSMO sublayer magnetization. The remaining AF moments lie within the (111) plane and these in-plane moments can be reoriented to an arbitrary in-plane direction to lie parallel to the LSMO sublayer magnetization. These results demonstrate that the magnetic order of AF thin films and heterostructures is far more complex than in bulk LSFO and can be tuned with orientation, thickness, and applied magnetic field.

Epitaxial La0.7Sr0.3MnO3(LSMO)/La0.7Sr0.3FeO3 (LSFO) superlattices serve as model systems to explore the magnetic structure and exchange coupling at (111)-oriented perovskite oxide interfaces. The (111) orientation possesses a buckled honeycomb structure resembling that of graphene with the stacking of highly polar layers. Furthermore, the bulk LSFO magnetic structure suggests that an ideal (111) interface should have fully uncompensated antiferromagnetic (AF) moments leading to exchange bias interactions. Detailed soft x-ray magnetic spectroscopy and microscopy reveal that interfacial effects and ultrathin superlattice sublayers can stabilize orientations of the LSFO AF spin axis, which differ from that of LSFO films and LSMO/LSFO bilayers. A portion of the AF moments can be reoriented to an arbitrary direction by a moderate external magnetic field through spin-flop coupling with the ferromagnetic LSMO sublayers that have low magnetocrystalline anisotropy in the (111) plane.

The extent of interfacial charge transfer and the resulting impact on magnetic interactions were investigated as a function of sublayer thickness in La_0.7Sr_0.3MnO₃/La_0.7Sr_0.3CoO₃ ferromagnetic superlattices. Element-specific soft x-ray magnetic spectroscopy reveals that the electronic structure is altered within 5-6 unit cells of the chemical interface, and can lead to a synthetic ferromagnet with strong magnetic coupling between the sublayers. The saturation magnetization and coercivity depends sensitively on the sublayer thickness due to the length scale of this interfacial effect. For larger sublayer thicknesses, the La_0.7Sr_0.3MnO₃ and La_0.7Sr_0.3CoO₃ sublayers are magnetically decoupled, displaying two independent magnetic transitions with little sublayer thickness dependence. These results demonstrate how interfacial phenomena at perovskite oxide interfaces can be used to tailor their functional properties at the atomic scale.

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.

We report on the observation of exchange-spring behavior in complex oxide bilayers composed of high coercivity ferromagnetic (FM) La0.7Sr0.3CoO3 (LSCO) and low coercivity FM La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 (LSMO). The magnetization process from each individual layer is revealed by a combination of bulk magnetometry and x-ray magnetic circular dichroism measurements. The results show unexpected magnetic switching behavior which deviates from conventional exchange-spring systems in that reversible switching occurs not only within the soft LSMO layer but is also accompanied by the switching of an interfacial LSCO layer. The origin of such exchange coupling is discussed in terms of charge redistribution at the interface.

The ability to systematically modify the magnetic properties of epitaxial La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 thin films is demonstrated through the use of Ar+ ion implantation. With increasing implant dose, a uniaxial expansion of the c-axis of the unit cell leads to a transition from in-plane toward perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. Above a critical dose of 3 × 1013 Ar+/cm2, significant crystalline disorder exists leading to a decrease in the average Mn valence state and near complete suppression of magnetization. Combined with lithographic techniques, ion implantation enables the fabrication of magnetic spin textures consisting of adjacent regions with tunable magnetic anisotropy in complex oxide thin films.

β-Ga2O3 thin films were grown on n-type GaN substrates using the sol–gel method. The forward-biased temperature dependent current–voltage (I–V–T) characteristics of Ni/β-Ga2O3/GaN structure have been investigated in the temperature range of 298–473 K. The apparent barrier height (ϕap) increased while the ideality factor (n) decreased with the increase in temperature. Such a temperature dependent behavior of ϕap and n was explained by the inhomogeneity of ϕap, which obeyed Gaussian distribution with zero-bias mean barrier height (ϕ¯ B0) of 1.02 ± 0.02 eV and standard deviation (σs0) of 153 ± 0.04 mV. Subsequently, ϕ¯ B0 and Richardson constant A* were obtained from the slope and intercept of the modified Richardson plot as 0.99 ± 0.01 e V and 67.2 A cm−2 K−2, respectively. The ϕ¯ B0 obtained from the modified Richardson plot was in good agreement with the theoretical value calculated from the work function of Ni and electron affinity of β-Ga2O3. The I–V–T characteristics of Ni/β-Ga2O3/GaN MOS structures can be successfully explained by the thermionic emission theory with a single Gaussian distribution of the barrier height.