Abstract: We studied the temperature and thickness dependence of the transport properties of La0.6Sr0.4MnO3 films. Hall voltage and magnetoresistance measurements on 10 and 150 nm thick films were performed with this porpose. From the ordinary Hall component, we calculated the density of carriers, which has hole-character and is systematically lower than that expected from the chemical composition of the manganite in both samples. Localization effects observed at low temperature in the resistivity of the thinner film, associated with the substrate-induced disorder, are correlated with a decrease of the density of carriers. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Abstract: We studied the transport and magnetic properties of low-doped manganite films after different oxygenation processes. The oxygen content was adjusted by postdeposition annealing at different oxygen pressures and annealing times. For all the samples we observed an increase in the Curie temperature and the remnant magnetization with the oxygen content. In general, for decreasing number of oxygen vacancies, samples under expansive strain become more homogeneous and their electrical resistivity decreases. A metal-insulator transition is induced in highly oxygenated films grown on SrTiO3, probably related to a shift of the mobility edge crossing below the Fermi energy. We found that the oxygenation dynamics depend critically on the strain field induced by the substrates and also on the Sr doping concentration.

Abstract: We have made a systematic study of the magnetic properties of low doped manganite films submitted to different oxygenation treatments. We have found that oxygenation dynamics depends critically of the strain field in the sample. The TC and the Mr increase as the oxygen content is increased. A decrease of the coercive field of the LSMO-STO films was observed, indicating that annealing treatments increase the oxygen content reducing oxygen vacancies.

Abstract: Artificially engineered superlattices were designed and fabricated to induce different growth mechanisms and structural characteristics. DC sputtering was used to grow ferromagnetic (La0.8Ba0.2MnO3)/ferroelectric (Ba0.25Sr0.75TiO3 or BaTiO3) superlattices. We systematically modified the thickness of the ferromagnetic layer to analyze dimensional and structural disorder effects on the superlattices with different structural characteristics. The crystalline structure was characterized by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. The magnetic and electronic properties were investigated by SQUID magnetometry and resistance measurements. The results show that both strain and structural disorder can significantly affect the physical properties of the systems. Ba0.25Sr0.75TiO3 based superlattices with a low thickness of the ferromagnetic layers (4 nm.) present compressive strain that decreases the ferromagnetic transition temperature from 250 K corresponding to the unstressed samples to 230 K. In these samples, the localization energy of the charge carrier through the electron-phonon interaction decreases at low temperatures (∼100 meV). Ba0.25Sr0.75TiO3 based superlattices with thicknesses of the ferromagnetic layers higher than 12 nm present tensile strain that reduces the charge carrier localization energy at low temperatures (∼1 meV), increasing the ferromagnetic transition temperature (Tc∼265K). Structural defects in BaTiO3 based superlattices have a stronger influence on the magnetic properties than on the transport properties. Nevertheless, disorder blocks the ferromagnetic transition for highly disordered samples (thickness of the ferromagnetic layer < 3 nm). These results help to further understand the role of strain and interface effects in the magnetic and transport properties of manganite based multiferroic systems.

Abstract: La0·8Ba0·2MnO3, Ba0·25Sr0·75TiO3 and BaTiO3 superlattices were grown to study the influence of structural disorder on the physical properties of multiferroic multilayers. Controlling the lattice mismatch of the superlattices allowed growing structures with different growth mechanisms. The manganite layers in the samples were used as “sensor layers”, that respond to the structural changes in the superlattices, induced by changing the thickness and nature of the ferroelectric layers. Stress has a weak influence on the magnetic properties of these systems. Transport properties are characterized by a high temperature thermally activated regime and a low temperature variable hopping one. The strain and structural disorder in the samples increases the localization energy of the current carriers for both regimes. Important interface effects can be achieved controlling the strain and disorder in the interfaces, allowing tuning the metal-insulator transition temperature. These results help to further understand the role of interface effects in the development of manganite based ferromagnetic/ferroelectric multilayered systems.