Grain boundary ferromagnetism in vanadium-doped In$_2$O$_3$ thin films

TL;DR

This study demonstrates room temperature ferromagnetism in vanadium-doped In₂O₃ thin films, attributing the magnetic properties to grain boundary effects and substitutional V incorporation, with implications for spintronic applications.

Contribution

It reveals that vanadium induces ferromagnetism in In₂O₃ thin films at room temperature, primarily originating from grain boundary effects and substitutional doping, excluding secondary phases.

Findings

Room temperature ferromagnetism observed in V-doped In₂O₃ films.

Magnetism localized at grain boundaries and within grains.

Vanadium is substitutionally incorporated, not forming secondary phases.

Abstract

Room temperature ferromagnetism was observed in In$_2$O$_3 thin films doped with 5 at.% vanadium, prepared by pulsed laser deposition at substrate temperatures ranging from 300 to 600 $\,^{\circ}{\rm C}$. X-ray absorption fine structure measurement indicated that vanadium was substitutionally dissolved in the In$_2$O$_3$ host lattice, thus excluding the existence of secondary phases of vanadium compounds. Magnetic measurements based on SQUID magnetometry and magnetic circular dichroism confirm that the magnetism is at grain boundaries and also in the grains. The overall magnetization originates from the competing effects between grains and grain boundaries.