Exchange Bias Effect in LaFeO3: La0.7Ca0.3MnO3 Composite Thin Films

Abstract

Composite thin films arouse great interests owing to the multifunctionalities and heterointerface induced physical property tailoring. The exchange bias effect aroused from the ferromagnetic (FM)–antiferromagnetic (AFM) heterointerface is applicable in various applications such as magnetic storage. In this work, (LaFeO3)x:(La0.7Ca0.3MnO3)1−x composite thin films have been deposited via pulsed laser deposition (PLD) and the exchange bias effect was investigated. In such system, LaFeO3 (LFO) is an antiferromagnet while La0.7Ca0.3MnO3 (LCMO) is a ferromagnet, which results in the exchange bias interfacial coupling at the FM/AFM interface. The composition variation of the two phases could lead to the exchange bias field (HEB) tuning in the composite system. This work demonstrates a new composite thin film system with FM-AFM interfacial exchange coupling, which could be applied in various spintronic applications.