Li, Dong;
Wang, Hongguang;
Li, Kaifeng;
Zhu, Bonan;
Jiang, Kai;
Backes, Dirk;
Veiga, Larissa SI;
... Li, Weiwei; + view all
(2023)
Emergent and robust ferromagnetic-insulating state in highly strained ferroelastic LaCoO3 thin films.
Nature Communications
, 14
(1)
, Article 3638. 10.1038/s41467-023-39369-6.
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Abstract
Transition metal oxides are promising candidates for the next generation of spintronic devices due to their fascinating properties that can be effectively engineered by strain, defects, and microstructure. An excellent example can be found in ferroelastic LaCoO3 with paramagnetism in bulk. In contrast, unexpected ferromagnetism is observed in tensile-strained LaCoO3 films, however, its origin remains controversial. Here we simultaneously reveal the formation of ordered oxygen vacancies and previously unreported long-range suppression of CoO6 octahedral rotations throughout LaCoO3 films. Supported by density functional theory calculations, we find that the strong modification of Co 3d-O 2p hybridization associated with the increase of both Co-O-Co bond angle and Co-O bond length weakens the crystal-field splitting and facilitates an ordered high-spin state of Co ions, inducing an emergent ferromagnetic-insulating state. Our work provides unique insights into underlying mechanisms driving the ferromagnetic-insulating state in tensile-strained ferroelastic LaCoO3 films while suggesting potential applications toward low-power spintronic devices.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Emergent and robust ferromagnetic-insulating state in highly strained ferroelastic LaCoO3 thin films |
| Location: | England |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1038/s41467-023-39369-6 |
| Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-39369-6 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. The images or other third-party material in this article are included in the Creative Commons license, unless indicated otherwise in the credit line; if the material is not included under the Creative Commons license, users will need to obtain permission from the license holder to reproduce the material. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
| Keywords: | Ferroelectrics and multiferroics, Magnetic properties and materials |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Maths and Physical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Maths and Physical Sciences > Dept of Chemistry |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10172302 |
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