Magnetic anisotropy in composite CoFe2O4-BiFeO3 ultrathin films grown by pulsed-electron deposition

Many works have demonstrated perpendicular magnetic anisotropy in CoFe2O4-BiFeO3 (CFO-BFO) composites, which is commonly believed to originate from out-of-plane compressive strain in the CFO pillars due to the lattice mismatch with the BFO matrix. Others have shown that the pillar-matrix interface in similar NiFe2O4-BFO composites is fully relaxed. To study the origin of the magnetic anisotropy, composite films were grown on SrTiO3 with thicknesses ranging from 13 to 150 nm via pulsed electron deposition. In-plane compressive strain in the pillars is found for thinner samples, which induces in-plane magnetoelastic anisotropy. A model for the origin of this previously unreported strain is proposed and the results are contrasted with the thicker composite films found in the literature. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3676413]