Interfacial strain measurements in $SrRuO_3/SrMnO_3$ magnetic multilayers

TL;DR

This study investigates interfacial strain in SrRuO3/SrMnO3 magnetic multilayers grown on SrTiO3 substrates, revealing increased residual strain in superlattices and providing insights into atomic-scale control of physical properties.

Contribution

It offers detailed analysis of interfacial strain and structural coherence in oxide multilayers using X-ray diffraction and microscopy, highlighting the effects of lattice stiffening and composition modulation.

Findings

Superlattices exhibit larger residual strain than single-layer films.

Interfacial strain influences lattice stiffening and dislocation inhibition.

Results enable atomic-scale control of physical properties in oxide multilayers.

Abstract

Magnetic multilayers of $(SrRuO_3)_m(SrMnO_3)_n$ were grown artificially using the pulsed laser deposition technique on (001)-oriented $SrTiO_3$ substrates. The state of strain at the interfaces and the structural coherency are studied in details utilizing asymmetrical $X$-ray diffraction and the $\sin ^2\psi $ method. First, the evolution of the lattice parameters, the crystallinity and the epitaxy of the films are evaluated as a function of the number of $SrMnO_3$ unit cells using $X$-rays diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. Second, our results on the stress indicate that the $SrRuO_3/SrMnO_3$ superlattices show a larger residual strain as compared to the single layer film of $SrRuO_3$. This suggests that the lattice stiffening from interfacial strain and inhibiting the dislocation by composition modulation. Finally, these results bring insights on the interfacial stress measurements of oxide multilayers that can be used to control the physical properties at the level of the atomic scale.