- Physical Review Journals
All JournalsPhysics Magazine

Physical Review B

Export citation

Export citation

Choose format for download:

Download Citation
  • Editors' Suggestion

Precise control of Jeff=12 magnetic properties in Sr2IrO4 epitaxial thin films by variation of strain and thin film thickness

Stephan Geprägs1,*, Björn Erik Skovdal2,3, Monika Scheufele1,4, Matthias Opel1, Didier Wermeille5, Paul Thompson5, Alessandro Bombardi6, Virginie Simonet7, Stéphane Grenier7 et al.

Pascal Lejay7, Gilbert Andre Chahine8, Diana Lucia Quintero-Castro9, Rudolf Gross1,4,10, and Danny Mannix7,11,12,†

  • 1Walther-Meißner-Institut, Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften, 85748 Garching, Germany
  • 2Division of Synchrotron Radiation, Lund University, SE-221 00 Lund, Sweden
  • 3Angstrom Centre, Uppsala University, SE-75121 Uppsala, Sweden
  • 4Physik-Department, Technische Universität München, 85748 Garching, Germany
  • 5XMaS CRG Beamline, European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, F-38043 Grenoble, France
  • 6Diamond Light Source Ltd., Harwell Science & Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0DE, United Kingdom
  • 7Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble INP, Institut Néel, 38000 Grenoble, France
  • 8Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble INP, SIMaP, 38000 Grenoble, France
  • 9Department of Mathematics and Physics, University of Stavanger, 4036 Stavanger, Norway
  • 10Munich Center for Quantum Science and Technology (MCQST), 80799 Munich, Germany
  • 11European Spallation Source, SE-221 00 Lund, Sweden
  • 12Aarhus University, Langelandsgade 140, DK-8000 Aarhus, Denmark

  • *stephan.gepraegs@wmi.badw.de
  • †dan.mannix@ess.eu
PDF

Phys. Rev. B 102, 214402 – Published 2 December, 2020

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.102.214402

Abstract

We report on a comprehensive investigation of the effects of strain and film thickness on the structural and magnetic properties of epitaxial thin films of the prototypal Jeff=1/2 compound Sr2IrO4 by advanced x-ray scattering. We find that the Sr2IrO4 thin films can be grown fully strained up to a thickness of 108 nm. By using x-ray resonant scattering, we show that the out-of-plane magnetic correlation length is strongly dependent on the thin film thickness, but independent of the strain state of the thin films. This can be used as a finely tuned dial to adjust the out-of-plane magnetic correlation length and transform the magnetic anisotropy from two-dimensional to three-dimensional behavior by incrementing film thickness. These results provide a clearer picture for the systematic control of the magnetic degrees of freedom in epitaxial thin films of Sr2IrO4 and bring to light the potential for a rich playground to explore the physics of 5d transition-metal compounds.

View figure in article

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Authorization Required

We need you to provide your credentials before accessing this content.

Other Options

References (Subscription Required)

Outline

Information

Phys. Rev. B 102, 214402– Published 2 December, 2020
  • Received 22 September 2020
  • Revised 4 November 2020
  • Accepted 4 November 2020
Crossmark - Check for updates button

©2020 American Physical Society

Sign In to Your Journals Account

Filter

Filter

Article Lookup

Enter a citation