Mechanically Tunable Magnetic Properties of Flexible SrRuO3 Epitaxial Thin Films on Mica Substrates

Epitaxial SrRuO3 (SRO) films with BaTiO3 buffer layer are deposited on mica substrates by pulsed laser deposition. The flexible film layers are subsequently prepared by mechanical exfoliation. The impact of mechanical strain on the magnetic properties of SRO is investigated. To control the applied mechanical strain, the prepared SRO films are firmly attached onto convex molds with different radii of curvature. The magnetization measurements are performed on SRO films under different mechanical strains. It is found that the magnetic properties of SRO films, including Curie temperature, saturated magnetic moment, and coercive field, depend strongly on the mechanical strain. The saturated moment can be enhanced from 1.2 to 3.2 mu B per Ru by applying a compressive mechanical strain, which is presumably attributed to a spin state transition. The magnetic anisotropy can be varied as well by exerting mechanical compressive or tensile strain. The flexible SRO films on mica substrate with highly tunable magnetic properties show a great potential for novel applications in flexible electronics.