Structural, magnetic and electronic properties of pulsed-laser-deposition grown SrFeO 3− δ thin films and SrFeO 3− δ /La 2/3 Ca 1/3 MnO 3 multilayers

We studied the structural, magnetic and electronic properties of ${\rm SrFeO}_{3- \delta}$ (SFO) thin films and ${\rm SrFeO}_{3-\delta}$ /${\rm La}_{2/3}$ ${\rm Ca}_{1/3}$ MnO3 (LCMO) superlattices that have been grown with pulsed laser deposition (PLD) on ${\rm La}_{0.3}$ ${\rm Sr}_{0.7}$ ${\rm Al}_{0.65}$ ${\rm Ta}_{0.35}$ ${\rm O}_{3}$ (LSAT) substrates. X-ray reflectometry and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) confirm the high structural quality of the films and flat and atomically sharp interfaces of the superlattices. The STEM data also reveal a difference in the interfacial layer stacking with a SrO layer at the LCMO/SFO and a LaO layer at the SFO/LCMO interfaces along the PLD growth direction. The x- ray diffraction (XRD) data suggest that the as grown SFO films and SFO/LCMO superlattices have an oxygen-deficient ${\rm SrFeO}_{3-\delta}$ structure with I4/ mmm space group symmetry ($\delta\leqslant 0.2$ ). Subsequent ozone annealed SFO films are consistent with an almost oxygen stoichiometric structure ($\delta \approx 0$ ). The electronic and magnetic properties of these SFO films are similar to the ones of corresponding single crystals. In particular, the as grown ${\rm SrFeO}_{3- \delta}$ films are insulating whereas the ozone annealed films are metallic. The magneto-resistance effects of the as grown SFO films have a similar magnitude as in the single crystals, but extend over a much wider temperature range. Last but not least, for the SFO/LCMO superlattices we observe a rather large exchange bias effect that varies as a function of the cooling field.