Growth and properties of high-Curie-temperature Sr2CrReO6 thin films

Abstract

Thin films of ordered double-perovskite Sr2CrReO6 have been grown epitaxially onto SrTiO3 substrates by sputtering, and their microstructural, electrical, and magnetic properties are investigated. It is found that a wide growth-temperature range of at least 700–800°C can yield epitaxial films with superior magnetic properties and atomically flat surfaces. These films exhibit Curie temperatures Tc of up to 620K, and saturation magnetizations Ms of 0.9μB∕formula unit (f.u.), which is comparable to the predicted value of 1μB∕f.u. for the fully ordered half-metallic material. Owing to the wide temperature window for growth of high-quality films, the surface morphology and coercivity of Sr2CrReO6 films are highly controllable, which is favorable for fabrication of magnetic tunnel junctions.