Effects of Strain and Buffer Layer on Interfacial Magnetization in Sr$_2$CrReO$_6$ Films Determined by Polarized Neutron Reflectometry

TL;DR

This study investigates how strain and buffer layers influence interfacial magnetization in Sr2CrReO6 films using polarized neutron reflectometry, revealing that buffer layers improve magnetic ordering at interfaces.

Contribution

It provides the first depth-resolved analysis of interfacial magnetization in Sr2CrReO6 films, highlighting the effects of buffer layers and strain on magnetic properties.

Findings

Buffer layers reduce the width of magnetization suppression regions.

Interfacial magnetization suppression extends beyond antisite disorder regions.

Strain has a similar effect on magnetization regardless of buffer layer presence.

Abstract

We have determined the depth-resolved magnetization structures of a series of highly ordered Sr$_{2}$CrReO$_{6}$ (SCRO) ferrimagnetic epitaxial films via combined studies of x-ray reflectometry, polarized neutron reflectometry and SQUID magnetometry. The SCRO films deposited directly on (LaAlO$_3$)$_{0.3}$(Sr$_2$AlTaO$_6$)$_{0.7}$ or SrTiO$_{3}$ substrates show reduced magnetization of similar width near the interfaces with the substrates, despite having different degrees of strain. When the SCRO film is deposited on a Sr$_{2}$CrNbO$_{6}$ (SCNO) double perovskite buffer layer, the width the interfacial region with reduced magnetization is reduced, agreeing with an improved Cr/Re ordering. However, the relative reduction of the magnetization averaged over the interfacial regions are comparable among the three samples. Interestingly, we found that the magnetization suppression region is wider than the Cr/Re antisite disorder region at the interface between SCRO and SCNO.