Formation of self-organized Mn3O4 nanoinclusions in LaMnO3 films

Frontiers in Physics

卷:4

Jaume Roqueta¹  José Santiso¹  Nuria Bagués¹  Zorica Konstantinović²  Maja Šćepanović²  Nenad Lazarević²  Zoran V Popović²  Lluis Balcells³  Carlos Frontera³  Alberto Pomar³  Narcis Mestres³  Laura López-Mir³  Felip Sandiumenge³  Benjamín Martínez³  Araceli Gutiérrez-Llorente⁴ 

[1] Catalan Insitute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2), CSIC and the Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST);

[2] Institute of Physics Belgrade - University of Belgrade;

[3] Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Barcelona;

[4] Universidad Rey Juan Carlos;

关键词: self-organization;    nanocomposite;    Oxide thin films;    LaMnO3;    Strain effects;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fphy.2016.00041

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

We present a single-step route to generate ordered nanocomposite thin films of secondary phase inclusions (Mn3O4) in a pristine perovskite matrix (LaMnO3) by taking advantage of the complex phase diagram of manganese oxides. We observed that in samples grown under vacuum growth conditions from a single LaMnO3 stoichiometric target by Pulsed Laser Deposition, the most favourable mechanism to accommodate Mn2+ cations is the spontaneous segregation of self-assembled wedge-like Mn3O4 ferrimagnetic inclusions inside a LaMnO3 matrix that still preserves its orthorhombic structure and its antiferromagnetic bulk-like behaviour. A detailed analysis on the formation of the self-assembled nanocomposite films evidences that Mn3O4 inclusions exhibit an epitaxial relationship with the surrounding matrix that it may be explained in terms of a distorted cubic spinel with slight (~9º) c-axis tilting. Furthermore, a Ruddlesden-Popper La2MnO4 phase, helping to the stoichiometry balance, has been identified close to the interface with the substrate. We show that ferrimagnetic Mn3O4 columns influence the magnetic and transport properties of the nanocomposite by increasing its coercive field and by creating local areas with enhanced conductivity in the vicinity of the inclusions.

【 授权许可】

Unknown