Strain-induced magnetic phase transition in SrCoO3 thin films

Transition metal oxides represent a wide set of materials with a broad range of functionalities, including superconductivity, magnetism, and ferroelectricity, which can be tuned by the careful choice of parameters such as strain, oxygen content, and applied electric or magnetic fields. This tunability makes them ideal candidate materials for use in developing novel information and energy technologies. SrCoO3 provides a particularly interesting system for these investigations. Lee and Rabe have simulated the effect of strain and have predicted that the magnetic state can be tuned through compressive or tensile strain with a ferromagnetic-antiferromagnetic phase transition. Such a phase transition would be accompanied by a metal-to-insulator phase transition and a transition to a ferroelectric polarised state. We have achieved large in-plane tensile strain in SrCoO3 thin films through the proper choice of substrate and our neutron diffraction experiments on only 40 nm thick films have indeed confirmed the transition from a ferromagnetic to an antiferromagnetic ground state, as theoretically predicted. As such, SrCoO3 would constitute a new class of multiferroic material where magnetic and electric polarisations can be driven through external strain.

Keywords

Antiferromagnetism, Ferromagnetism, Ground states, Neutron diffraction, Perovskite, Phase transformations, Polarization, Strains, Substrates, Tensile properties, Thin films

Citation

Callori, S. J., Hu, S., Bertinshaw, J., Yue, Z., Danilkin, S., Wang, X. L., Nagarajan, V., Klose, F., Seidel, J., Ulrich, C. (2015). Strain-induced magnetic phase transition in SrCoO3 thin films. Paper presented at the 39th Annual Condensed Matter and Materials Meeting, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, NSW, 3 February 2015 - 6 February 2015, (pp. 91). Retrieved from: https://physics.org.au/wp-content/uploads/cmm/2015/Wagga2015_10_Handbook.pdf

URI

https://physics.org.au/wp-content/uploads/cmm/2015/Wagga2015_10_Handbook.pdf
https://apo.ansto.gov.au/dspace/handle/10238/11351

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