Element-specific depth profile of magnetism and stoichiometry at the La0.67Sr0.33MnO3/BiFeO3 interface

Depth-sensitive magnetic, structural, and chemical characterization is important in the understanding and optimization of physical phenomena emerging at the interfaces of transition metal oxide heterostructures. In a simultaneous approach we have used polarized neutron and resonant x-ray reflectometry to determine the magnetic profile across atomically sharp interfaces of ferromagnetic La0.67Sr0.33MnO3/multiferroic BiFeO3 bilayers with subnanometer resolution. In particular, the x-ray resonant magnetic reflectivity measurements at the Fe and Mn resonance edges allowed us to determine the element-specific depth profile of the ferromagnetic moments in both the La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 and BiFeO3 layers. Our measurements indicate a magnetically diluted interface layer within the La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 layer, in contrast to previous observations on inversely deposited layers [P. Yu et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 105, 027201 (2010)]. Additional resonant x-ray reflection measurements indicate a region of altered Mn and O content at the interface, with a thickness matching that of the magnetic diluted layer, as the origin of the reduction of the magnetic moment.© 2014, American Physical Society.

Keywords

Magnetism, Ferromagnetism, Metals, Thickness, X-ray detection, Reflectivity

Citation

Bertinshaw, J., BrÃ¼ck, S., Lott, D., Fritzsche, H., Khaydukov, Y., Soltwedel, O., Keller, T., Goering, E., Audehm, P., Cortie, D. L., Hutchison, W. D., Ramasse, Q. M., Arredondo, M., Maran, R., Nagarajan, V., Klose, F., & Ulrich, C. (2014). Element-specific depth profile of magnetism and stoichiometry at the La0.67Sr0.33MnO3/BiFeO3 interface. Physical Review B, 90(4), 041113. doi:10.1103/PhysRevB.90.041113