Crossover from magnetostatic to exchange coupling in La0.67Ca0.33MnO3/YBa2Cu3O7/La0.67Ca0.33MnO3 heterostructures

TL;DR

This study investigates how the magnetic coupling in La0.67Ca0.33MnO3/YBa2Cu3O7/La0.67Ca0.33MnO3 heterostructures transitions from magnetostatic to exchange coupling as the YBCO layer thickness varies, revealing coexistence of ferromagnetism and superconductivity.

Contribution

It provides experimental evidence of the crossover from magnetostatic to exchange coupling in F/S/F heterostructures with varying YBCO thickness, confirming theoretical predictions.

Findings

Magnetostatic coupling dominates at larger YBCO thickness.

Exchange coupling is observed at thinner YBCO layers.

Superconductivity influences magnetic reversal mechanisms.

Abstract

The influence of YBa2Cu3O4 (YBCO) superconductor layer (S-layer) with varying thickness d-YBCO = 20 to 50 nm on the magnetic coupling between two La0.67Ca0.33MnO3 (LCMO) ferromagnet layers (F-layer, thickness d-LCMO = 50 nm) in F/S/F heterostructures (HSs) was investigated by measuring global magnetization (M) in a temperature (T) range = 2 - 300 K and magnetic field (H) range = 0 - 10 kOe. All the HSs were superconducting with critical temperature (Tc) decreasing from = 78 to 36 K with decrease in d-YBCO, whereas the ferromagnetic ordering temperature Tm = 250 K did not change much. Systematically measured M-H loops of all HSs at both T > Tc and T < Tc show three main results- (a) the two step magnetic reversal above Tc converts into a four step reversal below Tc in HSs with d-YBCO >= 30 nm, (b) the magnetic field corresponding to the additional two switching steps and their magnitude show characteristic evolution with T and d-YBCO and (c) the HS with d-YBCO = 20 nm shows radically different behaviour, where the two step magnetic reversal above Tc continues to persist below Tc and converts into a single step reversal at T << Tc. The first two results indicate magnetostatic coupling between the magnetic domains and the vortices across the two F/S interfaces resulting in reversal dynamics different from that deep within the LCMO layers. Whereas, the result c reveals indirect exchange coupling between LCMO layers through the superconducting YBCO layer, which is a clear experimental evidence of coexistence of ferromagnetism and superconductivity in nm scale F/S/F HSs expected theoretically by C.A.R. Sa de Melo (Physica C 387, 17-25 (2003)).