American Institute of Physics, Applied Physics Letters, 14(87), p. 142508
DOI: 10.1063/1.2077850
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We have synthesized (110)-oriented epitaxial thin films of the bilayer (n = 2) manganite, La1.2Sr1.8Mn2O7, with the metallic/ferromagnetic a-b planes lying perpendicular to the substrate surface and the c-axis aligned in the plane of the film. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy confirm the alignment of the a-b planes along the [10] substrate direction. The films consist primarily of the n = 2 phase with a minor component of the n = 1 (La,Sr)2MnO4 and n = ∞ (La,Sr)MnO3 phases. A resistivity maximum coincides with a ferromagnet/paramagnet transition at a reduced Tc ∼ 90 K (versus 120 K for bulk), indicative of the effects of epitaxial strain. The films display similar anisotropic properties to their bulk counterpart with the magnetically easy direction confined to the a-b planes and 20–200 times lower resistivity for current flowing along the a-b planes compared to the c-axis.