Pulsed laser deposition - 25 years young

This talk will review the physics and the kinetics of thin film growth by PLD and its progress since it was first used for YBCO film growth in 1987. From growth kinetics considerations, PLD is one of the most complex of the techniques, and yet, as experience has shown, it is the most convenient and versatile among the techniques for the realization of multicomponent compound (oxides, nitrides, etc.) thin films. This talk will review the impact of the PLD technique in the light of our own work (carried out first at TIFR since 1991 and now at CEN, IITB) in the realization of high quality films of high Tc, superconductors, CMR materials, ferroelectrics and multiferroics. This talk will also highlight the contributions of PLD in the realization of some of our finest results such as highest Jc YBCO films, first synthesis of unstable LuBa2Cu3O7x thin films, synthesis of ferroelectric PbTiO3 films on <100> Si, and also the work on multiferroic BiFeO3 films and Bi0.6Dy0.3La0.1FeO3 films which show coexistence of ferroelectric and magnetic ordering. Some recent work on PLD grown LSMO directly on silicon for possible device applications and also the recent work on room temperature based MEMS actuator devices using PLD grown multiferroic films will also be reviewed