Observation of Spin-glass-like Behavior in SrRuO3 Epitaxial Thin Films

TL;DR

This paper reports the discovery of spin-glass-like magnetic behavior and strong anisotropy in epitaxial SrRuO3 thin films, revealing a unidirectional easy axis perpendicular to the film plane, with insights aligning with the Heisenberg model.

Contribution

It provides the first observation of spin-glass-like behavior in SrRuO3 thin films and explores its magnetic anisotropy and origin.

Findings

Spin-glass-like behavior observed in SrRuO3 films

Magnetic easy axis is perpendicular to the film plane

Behavior consistent with the Heisenberg model

Abstract

We report the observation of spin-glass-like behavior and strong magnetic anisotropy in extremely smooth (~1-3 \AA) roughness) epitaxial (110) and (010) SrRuO3 thin films. The easy axis of magnetization is always perpendicular to the plane of the film (unidirectional) irrespective of crystallographic orientation. An attempt has been made to understand the nature and origin of spin-glass behavior, which fits well with Heisenberg model.