INTERFACE-CONTROLLED MAGNETISM AND TRANSPORT OF ULTRATHIN MANGANITE FILMS

Abstract

We report ferromagnetic, T C ¼ 240 K, and metallic, T MI ¼ 250 K, behaviors of a three unit cell thick interface engineered lanthanum manganite film, grown by metalorganic aerosol deposition technique on SrTiO 3(100) substrates. Atomically resolved electron microscopy and chemical analysis show that ultrathin manganite films start to grow with La-O layer on a strongly Mn/Ti-intermixed interface, engineered by an additional deposition of 2 u.c. of Sr-Mn-O. Such interface engineering results in a hole-doped manganite layer and stabilizes ferromagnetism and metallic conductivity down to the thickness of d ¼ 3 u.c. The films with d ¼ 8 u.c. demonstrate a metallic conductivity down to the thickness of d ¼ 3 u.c. bulk-like transport behavior with TMI T C ¼ 310330 K.