Control of spin configuration in half-metallic La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 nano-structures

Jan Rhensius (1, 2) , C.A.F. Vaz (2) , A. Bisig (1, 2, 3) , S. Schweitzer (1) , J. Heidler (2) , H.S. Körner (1, 2) , A. Locatelli (4) , M.A. Nino (4) , M. Weigand (5) , Laurence Méchin (6) , F. Gaucher (7) , E. Goering (3) , L.J. Heyderman (2) , M. Kläui (1, 2)

1 Fachbereich Physik [Konstanz]
2 PSI - Paul Scherrer Institute
3 Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems [Tübingen]
4 Sincrotrone Trieste, Italy
5 HZB - Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie GmbH = Helmholtz Centre Berlin for Materials and Energy = Centre Helmholtz de Berlin pour les matériaux et l'énergie
6 Equipe Electronique - Laboratoire GREYC - UMR6072
7 GREYC - Groupe de Recherche en Informatique, Image et Instrumentation de Caen

We investigate the interplay between the governing magnetic energy terms in patterned La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 (LSMO) elements by direct high-resolution x-ray magnetic microscopy as a function of temperature and geometrical parameters. We show that the magnetic configurations evolve from multidomain to flux-closure states (favored by the shape anisotropy) with decreasing element size, with a thickness-dependent crossover at the micrometer scale. The flux-closure states are stable against thermal excitations up to near the Curie temperature. Our results demonstrate control of the spin state in LSMO elements by judicious choice of the geometry, which is key for spintronics applications requiring high spin-polarizations and robust magnetic states.

Domaines: Micro et nanotechnologies/Microélectronique

Jan Rhensius, C.A.F. Vaz, A. Bisig, S. Schweitzer, J. Heidler, et al.. Control of spin configuration in half-metallic La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 nano-structures. Applied Physics Letters, 2011, 99 (6), pp.062508- 1 -- 3. ⟨hal-00974921⟩