Ferromagnetism with Curie temperature of 500 K in laser-ablated Ga2O3 thin films

Room-temperature ferromagnetism in thin films of semiconducting oxides is a great interest for spintronic applications. In this study, Ga 2 O 3 thin films were deposited on C-cut Al 2 O 3 substrates by pulsed laser deposition and exhibited robust room-temperature ferromagnetism. X-ray diffraction confirms that when the films were deposited with atmosphere of 100% oxygen and 100% Ar, β-Ga 2 O 3 and α-Ga 2 O 3 phases could be obtained, respectively. On the other hand, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy reveals significant variations in oxygen vacancies and gallium oxidation states between those two phases. Magnetic measurements further demonstrate a well-pronounced in-plane ferromagnetism. A high Curie temperature of approximately 500 K is observed. These results indicate that the magnetic properties of Ga 2 O 3 thin films can be effectively tuned via phase control, thickness variation, and defect engineering, providing an effective route toward spintronic device applications.