Exploring interfacial magnetism in all-spinel Fe3O4/MgCr2O4/Fe3O4 epitaxial heterostructures

Abstract

Epitaxial heterostructures integrating thin Fe3O4 films hold great potential for spintronics, magnetoionics, and multifunctional device development. In this work, the morpho-structural and magnetic properties of all-spinel Fe3O4/MgCr2O4/Fe3O4 trilayers grown on an MgCr2O4 buffer layer, exhibiting very close lattice matching, were investigated using both surface- and bulk-sensitive techniques. The close lattice match between Fe3O4 and MgCr2O4 enables the growth of epitaxial heterostructures with magnetically decoupled Fe3O4 layers for spacer thicknesses of ≥1.6 nm, while reducing the formation of antiphase boundaries. Despite localized interphase diffusion, which leads to the formation of a mixed Cr/Fe spinel oxide with magnetically polarized Cr ions at the Fe3O4/MgCr2O4 interfaces, the overall magnetic properties remain largely consistent with those of the individual Fe3O4 layers. This study sheds light on the magnetic interactions within Fe3O4 layers mediated by an MgCr2O4 spacer and demonstrates the feasibility of the approach in preserving the properties of thin Fe3O4 films in complex heterostructures, thus offering a promising pathway for designing advanced all-spinel oxide devices.