Growth of epitaxial thin films of the ordered double perovskite La2NiMnO6 on different substrates

Epitaxial thin films of La2NiMnO6, a ferromagnetic semiconductor, have been fabricated on different substrates by pulsed laser deposition. The x-ray diffraction and Raman scattering observations reveal that the films are single crystalline and have an orthorhombic structure. The magnetic properties of the films, including the coercive field, remanent magnetization, and Curie temperature, are strongly dependent on the choice of the substrate. The optimized films exhibit a magnetic moment of 4.63μB∕f.u. at 5K, with a Curie temperature close to 280K. The film characteristics are promising for potential device applications in information storage, spintronics, and sensors.