Nonlinear strain dependence of magnetic anisotropy in CoFe2O4 films on MgO(001) substrates

CoFe2O4 films were deposited on MgO(001) substrates using pulsed laser deposition with various laser energy densities. We found that the CoFe2O4 films were grown in the (001) orientation and that the lattice constant of the CoFe2O4 films was dependent on the laser energy densities. Perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) was observed, but the lattice strain dependence was not consistent with the phenomenological model in which the PMA is in proportion to the lattice strain. The lattice strain dependence of PMA was compared with an electron theory in which the spin-orbit interaction and the tetragonal crystal field in the electronic state of a single Co ion are considered. The experimental result does not contradict with the calculation, which shows that the magnetic anisotropy is not proportional to the lattice strain and asymmetric in respect to negative and positive lattice strain.