Structure and magnetic properties of three-dimensional (La,Sr)MnO3 nanofilms on ZnO nanorod arrays

Abstract

Three-dimensional (3D) cubic perovskite (La,Sr)MnO3 (LSMO) nanofilms have been deposited on ZnO nanorod arrays with controlled dimensionality and crystallinity by radio frequency (rf) magnetron sputtering and post thermal annealing. Compared to the two-dimensional (2D) LSMO nanofilm on flat Si, the structure and magnetic properties of 3D LSMO nanofilms on ZnO nanorod arrays have a strong anisotropic morphology and thickness dependence. Ferromagnetic property has been observed in both 2D and 3D LSMO nanofilms while a ferromagnetic–superparamagnetic transition was revaled in 3D LSMO nanofilms on ZnO nanorod array with decreasing nanofilm thickness, due to a large surface dispersion effect. The LSMO/ZnO nanofilm/nanorod structures could open up new avenues for intriguing magnetic properties studies and applications of nanoscale perovskites.