Effect of annealing oxygen pressure on the enhancement of laser-induced voltage in La2/3Ca1/3MnO3:Ag0.04 films

• LCMO:Ag0.04 films were prepared at various annealing oxygen pressures by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique.
• Compared to as-grown sample, a larger LIV effect was observed in epitaxial films processed by thermal annealing treatment.
• LIV effect enhancement of LCMO:Ag0.04 films was due to improved film crystallization and oxygen balance.
• Improved film crystallization and oxygen balance lead to a pronounced Seebeck effect.

La2/3Ca1/3MnO3:Ag0.04 (LCMO:Ag0.04) films were prepared at various annealing oxygen pressures on the vicinal cut LaAlO3 substrates by the pulsed laser deposition technique. The X-ray diffraction results showed that all the samples were along the (0 0 l) orientation in the orthorhombic structure with Pbnm space group. Compared to the as-grown sample, larger laser-induced voltage (LIV) effect was observed in epitaxial films processed by the thermal annealing treatment. The results indicated that the LIV enhancement of the LCMO:Ag0.04 films was owing to an improved film crystallization and oxygen balance leading to a pronounced Seebeck effect.