Magnetic Anisotropy Controlled by Distinct Interfacial Lattice Distortions at the La1-x,SrxCoO3/Lav2/3sr1/3MnO3 Interfaces

Interface engineering is an important approach leading to multifunctional artificial materials. Although most of the previous works focused on the effects of the rotation/tilting of interfacial oxygen octahedron on perovskite multilayers, here, we report on a new kind of lattice distortion characterized by an off-center shift of the Mn ions within the MnO6 oxygen octahedra at the interfaces of La1-xSrxCoO3/La1-x/3Sr(x)/3MnO(3)/Lai(2/3)Sr(1/3)MnO(3)/LaA(1-x)CoO(3/)LaAlO(3) trilayers (x = 0-1/3), which drives the initially perpendicularly aligned magnetic axis of the La2/3Sr1/3MnO3 (LSMO) film toward the in-plane direction, though the film is in a strongly compressive state. It is further found that the magnetic anisotropy considerably depends on the content of Sr in La1-xSrx CoO3, enhancing as x decreases. The maximal anisotropy constant at 10 K is +2.5 x 10(6) erg/cm(3) for the trilayers with x = 0, whereas it is -1.5 x 10(5) las erg/cm(3) for a bare LSMO film on LaAlO3. On the basis of the analysis of X-ray absorption spectroscopy and the results of density functional theory calculations, we found that the off-center displacement of the Mn ions has caused a strong orbital reconstruction at interfaces, resulting in the anomalous spin orientation against magnetoelastic coupling.