In-plane antiferromagnetic and out-of-plane ferromagnetic exchange coupling in SrRuO3/La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 superlattices

The study of La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 (LSMO) and SrRuO3 (SRO) superlattice has received increased interest in recent years as a result of several interesting magnetic properties arises at the interfaces of these systems. Here, we have presented the structural and magnetic properties of SRO/LSMO superlattices, grown on (001) oriented SrTiO3 (STO) substrate by pulsed laser deposition method. The study shows the θ-2θ X-ray diffraction (XRD) scans of STO/SRO(20 unit cell(u.c.))/LSMO(3 u.c.) and STO/SRO(20 u.c.)/ LSMO(5 u.c.) superlattices, respectively. The observed satellite peaks in both the XRD patterns indicates presence of superlattice structures. The study also shows the temperature dependent in-plane and out-of-plane magnetization of both the superlattices. Interestingly, in both superlattices the out-of-plane magnetization exhibits the ferromagnetic coupling, whereas the in-plane shows the antiferromagnetic coupling at the interface below the Curie temperature of SRO, even if both materials are ferromagnetic. (author)