Electronic depiction of magnetic origin in undoped and Fe doped TiO2−d epitaxial thin films

Abstract

We have investigated the electronic and magnetic properties of the pulsed laser deposited epitaxial thin films of undoped and Fe doped (4 at. %) anatase TiO2−d by photoemission, magnetization measurements, and ab-initio band structure calculations. These films show room temperature magnetic ordering. It is observed that Fe ions hybridize with the oxygen vacancy induced Ti3+ defect states. Our study reveals the formation of local magnetic moment at Ti and Fe sites to be responsible for magnetic ordering. A finite density of states at the Fermi level in both undoped and Fe doped films is also observed, suggesting their degenerate semiconducting nature.