| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1675645 | Thin Solid Films | 2006 | 4 Pages |
The structural, electrical and magnetic properties of ultra-thin La0.83Sr0.17MnO3 (LSMO) films, deposited on NdGaO3 substrate by using the MOCVD technique, were studied. The film thickness d varied in the range from 4 to 140 nm. X-ray and RHEED measurements demonstrated that the films had a two-phase structure. One phase had an orthorhombic face centred structure (a = 0.406 nm and c = 0.46 nm), while the other one had a cubic perovskite-like structure with a = 0.388 nm. Low field dc resistance and magnetization vs. temperature dependences were investigated in the temperature range from 5 to 300 K using a conventional four-probe method and a SQUID magnetometer. It was found that the temperature of the resistivity maximum, Tm, increases with increasing film thickness and that the value of the Curie temperature TC estimated from the temperature dependence of magnetization is very close to Tm. Modelling of the remanent magnetization vs. temperature dependence based on a two-phase model was in agreement with experimental results. This model also explains the Tm shift to lower temperatures with decreasing film thickness.
