Exchange bias effect in epitaxial La0.35Sr0.65MnO3/La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 bilayers : impact of antiferromagnet growth conditions

Abstract

Antiferromagnets have shown great potential for replacing ferromagnets in spintronics applications in recent years. In this work, antiferromagnetic La0.35Sr0.65MnO3 (AFM-LSMO) thin films were grown on ultrathin ferromagnetic La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 (FM-LSMO) layer over a wide temperature range. The different AFM-LSMO growth temperatures introduced variation of strain states in the AFM-LSMO layer, changing the AFM-LSMO magnetic properties. Considering the thermally activated switching model of antiferromagnetic grains, the behaviour of AFM-LSMO growth temperature-dependent exchange bias effect are explained. This work demonstrates the modulation of exchange bias effect through the control of AFM-LSMO growth conditions, suggesting possibility to control and probe oxide antiferromagnets via exchange bias coupling.