Anomalous Crystallinity and Magnetism in Chemically Disordered Coherent Heterostructures

TL;DR

This study reveals how chemical disorder in high-entropy oxide thin films can be predictably controlled to produce anomalous crystallinity and novel magnetic states, with potential applications in spintronics.

Contribution

It demonstrates a method to program lattice strains and valence states in heterostructures, revealing new magnetic interfaces and functionalities in high-entropy oxides.

Findings

Lattice strains over 5% can be stabilized in heterostructures.

Valence switching from 2+ to mixed 2+/3+ occurs at interfaces.

Enhanced exchange bias observed in heterostructures.

Abstract

High-entropy oxide (HEO) thin films uniquely superimpose exceptional chemical disorder with exceptional crystalline quality and coherence - an intersection we term anomalous crystallinity that arises from coupled structural, chemical, and valence degrees of freedom unique to the entropy-stabilized condition. Here, we demonstrate unexpected and predictive control of this state using formulation, epitaxial constraints, and kinetic arrest of metastable macrostates. Specifically, aliovalent cation substitutions, tightly controlled substrate temperatures, and conditions favoring significant adatom kinetic energy, can program the out-of-plane lattice parameter of coherent rock salt HEOs while preserving in-plane epitaxial pinning to MgO. Lattice strains exceeding 5% can be stabilized in multilayer heterostructures using this approach, where 3+ cations compensated by cation vacancies predominate the defect chemistry landscape. We highlight the exemplar (Sc,Mg,Co,Ni,Cu,Zn)O/(Cr,Mg,Co,Ni,Cu,Zn)O (JSc/JCr) system where Sc and Cr substitution into the rock salt structure produces pseudomorphic heterostructures between individual antiferromagnets exhibiting exceptional strain and abrupt interfaces across which the Co valence switches from mostly 2+ to an even 2+/3+ mixture. These unprecedented valence interfaces are accompanied by a 2x exchange bias boost compared to single-layer constituents, that could be attributed to enhanced uncompensated spins in the layers themselves or around the buried JSc/JCr interface. These results establish pseudomorphic valence interfaces with anomalous crystallinity as a source of new magnetic macrostates that host emergent magnetic and spintronic functionality.