Epitaxial stabilization of ε-Fe2O3 (00l) thin films on SrTiO3 (111)

Thin films of the metastable and elusive ε-Fe2O3 have been epitaxially stabilized on SrTiO3 (111) substrates. The ε-Fe2O3 films present a (001) orientation perpendicular to the substrate and three in-plane domains measuring a few nanometers and showing atomically sharp interfaces. We argue that this...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Gich, Martí|||0000-0001-9958-0057, Gázquez Alabart, Jaume|||0000-0002-2561-328X, Roig i Serra, Anna|||0000-0001-6464-7573
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2010
País:España
Institución:Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Repositorio:Dipòsit Digital de Documents de la UAB
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:ddd.uab.cat:107288
Acceso en línea:https://ddd.uab.cat/record/107288
https://dx.doi.org/urn:doi:10.1063/1.3360217
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Pel·lícules fines
Descripción
Sumario:Thin films of the metastable and elusive ε-Fe2O3 have been epitaxially stabilized on SrTiO3 (111) substrates. The ε-Fe2O3 films present a (001) orientation perpendicular to the substrate and three in-plane domains measuring a few nanometers and showing atomically sharp interfaces. We argue that this domain structure, rather than the epitaxial-strain, plays an essential role in stabilizing the ε-Fe2O3 by minimizing the energy of (100) surfaces. The ε-Fe2O3 films show a large in-plane coercivity ∼ 8 kOe which combined with the magnetoelectric character claimed for this oxide may lead to novel applications in spintronics.