Effect of oxygen concentration on the structural and magnetic properties of LaRh1/2Mn1/2O3 thin films

TL;DR

This study investigates how varying oxygen levels during deposition affect the structural and magnetic properties of LaRh1/2Mn1/2O3 thin films, revealing optimal magnetic performance at higher oxygen concentrations.

Contribution

It provides new insights into the relationship between oxygen concentration and the magnetic and structural properties of LaRh1/2Mn1/2O3 thin films.

Findings

Higher oxygen concentration improves magnetic properties.

Lower oxygen levels enhance film texture and crystallinity.

Films are semiconducting and ferromagnetic near 100 K.

Abstract

Epitaxial LaRh1/2Mn1/2O3 thin films have been grown on (001)-oriented LaAlO3 and SrTiO3 substrates using pulsed laser deposition. The optimized thin film samples are semiconducting and ferromagnetic with a Curie temperature close to 100 K, a coercive field of 1200 Oe, and a saturation magnetization of 1.7muB per formula unit. The surface texture, structural, electrical, and magnetic properties of the LaRh1/2Mn1/2O3 films was examined as a function of the oxygen concentration during deposition. While an elevated oxygen concentration yields thin films with optimal magnetic properties, slightly lower oxygen concentrations result in films with improved texture and crystallinity.