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Emergent ultra-high temperature ferromagnetism in La2CoO4±x thin films

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Abstract

Searching for novel ferromagnetic oxides with high Curie temperature (TC) has been one of the main goals for oxide spintronics. The well-known perovskite cobaltate LaCoO3 is a classical ferromagnet in its thin-film form; however, it suffers from a low TC (∼ 85 K). Here we report a new type of ferromagnetic La-Co-O films with an ultrahigh TC of ∼ 820 K. They are fabricated by pulsed laser deposition from a LaCoO3 target at low oxygen partial pressures. Detailed structural analysis indicates that they crystallize in terms of the Ruddlesden–Popper phase of La2CoO4±x. In sharp contrast to the antiferromagnetism of bulk La2CoO4, the strong ferromagnetism in the La2CoO4±x thin films is firmly demonstrated by magnetometry measurements, X-ray magnetic circular dichroism characterization, and magnetotransport experiments. More importantly, density functional theory calculations indicate that the nonstoichiometric oxygen induces an antiferromagnetic-to-ferromagnetic phase transition, accompanied by the orbital reconstruction of Co 3d electrons. Thus, our study provides an attractive strategy for designing or synthesizing exotic magnetic oxides with high ordering temperatures.

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Acknowledgements

Z. Q. L. acknowledges the financial support of the National Key Research and Development Program of China (Nos. 2022YFB3506000 and 2022YFA1602701), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 52271235 and 52121001), and Bei**g Natural Science Foundation (No. JQ23005). P. X. Q. acknowledges the financial support of the China National Postdoctoral Program for Innovative Talents (No. BX20230451).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Materials Science and Engineering, Beihang University, Bei**g, 100191, China

    Ziang Meng, Han Yan, Peixin Qin, **aorong Zhou, **aoning Wang, Hongyu Chen, Li Liu, Zhiyuan Duan, Guojian Zhao & Zhiqi Liu

  2. Bei**g National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Bei**g, 100190, China

    Zhuo Yin, Fengxia Hu & Qinghua Zhang

  3. CAS Key Laboratory of Magnetic Materials and Devices and Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Magnetic Materials and Application Technology, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, 315201, China

    Peiheng Jiang & Zhicheng Zhong

  4. Fert Bei**g Institute, School of Integrated Circuit Science and Engineering, Beihang University, Bei**g, 100191, China

    Weisheng Zhao

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  1. Ziang Meng
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Correspondence to Han Yan, Peixin Qin, Qinghua Zhang, Zhicheng Zhong or Zhiqi Liu.

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Meng, Z., Yan, H., Qin, P. et al. Emergent ultra-high temperature ferromagnetism in La2CoO4±x thin films. Nano Res. (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-024-6701-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-024-6701-7

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