Magnetic properties of thick multiferroic hexagonal HoMnO3 films

Multiferroic hexagonal HoMnO3/YSZ(111) films with a thickness of <= 1 mu m have been grown by pulsed laser deposition. Conventional X-ray diffraction and pole figure measurement indicate that the film is epitaxially grown without secondary phase or misorientation. Magnetization measurements reveal some differences in comparison with a single crystal. These differences are possibly related to the larger a and c lattice parameters of the film which are likely to alter the bond lengths and, thus, the magnetic superexchange interactions. A substantial change of the complex Ho3+ magnetic ordering below 6 K is observed. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.