Premium
Oxygen Vacancy Engineering for Highly Tunable Ferromagnetic Properties: A Case of SrRuO 3 Ultrathin Film with a SrTiO 3 Capping Layer
Author(s) -
Ko Eun Kyo,
Mun Junsik,
Lee Han Gyeol,
Kim Jinkwon,
Song Jeongkeun,
Chang Seo Hyoung,
Kim Tae Heon,
Chung Suk Bum,
Kim Miyoung,
Wang Lingfei,
Noh Tae Won
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
advanced functional materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.069
H-Index - 322
eISSN - 1616-3028
pISSN - 1616-301X
DOI - 10.1002/adfm.202001486
Subject(s) - materials science , spintronics , heterojunction , coercivity , ferromagnetism , pulsed laser deposition , layer (electronics) , oxide , nanotechnology , condensed matter physics , ferromagnetic material properties , optoelectronics , thin film , magnetic field , magnetization , metallurgy , quantum mechanics , physics
Oxide heterostructures have great potential for spintronics applications due to their well‐defined heterointerfaces and vast functionalities. To integrate such compelling features into practical spintronics devices, effective control of the magnetic switching behavior is key. Here, continuous control of the magnetic coercive field in SrTiO 3 /SrRuO 3 ultrathin heterostructures is achieved by oxygen vacancy (V O ) engineering. Pulsed laser deposition of an oxygen‐deficient SrTiO 3 capping layer can trigger V O migration into the SrRuO 3 layer while avoiding the formation of Ru vacancies. Moreover, by varying the thickness and growth conditions of the SrTiO 3 capping layer, the value of the coercive field ( H C ) in the ferromagnetic SrRuO 3 layer can be continuously tuned. The maximum enhancement of H C at 5 K is 3.2 T. Such a wide‐range tunability of H C may originate from a V O ‐induced enhancement of perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and domain wall pinning. This study offers effective approaches for controlling physical properties of oxide heterostructures via V O engineering, which may facilitate the development of oxide‐based functional devices.