Fabrication of spin-frustrated Sm[sub 2]Mo[sub 2]O[sub 7] epitaxial films: High throughput optimization using a temperature gradient method.

Epitaxial thin films of pyrochlore-type ferromagnetic molybdates Sm[sub 2]Mo[sub 2]O[sub 7], as a geometrically spin-frustrated system, were fabricated by a pulsed-laser deposition. The temperature gradient method combined with the concurrent x-ray diffraction method was exploited for high throughput optimization of the film quality. The excess supply of Mo for compensating the volatile Mo-related species improved the crystallinity. The resistivity and magnetization of the optimized film were 3 mΩ cm and 0.8 µ[sub B]/Mo at 10 K, respectively, being similar to those of a single crystal. The observed finite anomalous Hall term that persists down to the lowest temperature reflects an appearance of spin chirality in this spin-frustrated system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]