Strong perpendicular exchange bias in epitaxial La0.7Sr0.3MnO3:LaFeO3 nanocomposite thin films

Abstract

Strong exchange bias (EB) in perpendicular direction has been demonstrated in vertically aligned nanocomposite (VAN) (La0.7Sr0.3MnO3)1-x: (LaFeO3)x (LSMO:LFO, x = 0.33, 0.5, 0.67) thin films deposited by pulsed laser deposition. Under a moderate magnetic field cooling, an EB field as high as ∼800 Oe is achieved in the VAN film with x = 0.33, suggesting a great potential for its applications in high density memory devices. Such enhanced EB effects in perpendicular direction can be attributed to the high quality epitaxial co-growth of vertically aligned ferromagnetic LSMO and antiferromagnetic LFO phases, and the vertical interface coupling associated with a disordered spin-glass state. The VAN design paves a powerful way for integrating perpendicular EB effect within thin films and provides a new dimension for advanced spintronic devices.