Spin wave and percolation studies in epitaxial La2/3Sr1/3MnO3 thin films grown by pulsed laser deposition

• The magnetic and transport properties of epitaxial La2/3Sr1/3MnO3 thin films are investigated.
• The M(T) curve was modeled at low temperature, and several magnetic parameters were obtained using spin wave theory.
• The percolation theory was used to simulate ρ(T) in both the ferromagnetic and paramagnetic phases.

We investigate the magnetic and transport properties of high quality La2/3Sr1/3MnO3 thin films grown by pulsed laser deposition. X-ray diffraction shows that the deposited films are epitaxial with the expected pseudo-cubic structure. Using the spin wave theory, the temperature dependence of magnetization was satisfactory modeled at low temperature, in which several fundamental magnetic parameters were obtained (spin wave stiffness, exchange constants, Fermi wave-vector, Mn–Mn interatomic distance). The transport properties were studied via the temperature dependence of electrical resistivity [ρ(T)], which shows a peak at Curie temperature due to metal to insulator transition. The percolation theory was used to simulate ρ(T) in both the ferromagnetic and paramagnetic phases. Reasonable agreement with the experimental data is reported.