Engineering the microstructure and magnetism of La2CoMnO6−δ thin films by tailoring oxygen stoichiometry

Abstract

We report on the magnetic and structural properties of ferromagnetic-insulating La2CoMnO6−δ thin films grown on top of (001) SrTiO3 substrates by means of RF sputtering technique. Careful structural analysis, by using synchrotron X-ray diffraction, allows identifying two different crystallographic orientations that are closely related to oxygen stoichiometry and to the features (coercive fields and remanence) of the hysteresis loops. Both Curie temperature and magnetic hysteresis turn out to be dependent on the oxygen stoichiometry. In situ annealing conditions allow tailoring the oxygen content of the films, therefore controlling their microstructure and magnetic properties.