Self-organized nanostructures in magnetic CoGa0.8Mn1.2O4 thin films fabricated by pulsed laser deposition

The fabrication of highly-ordered nanostructures by self-organization is one of the greatest challenges in nano science. Herein, we report the formation of a self-organized nanostructure in the CoGa0.8Mn1.2O4 thin film through a thermal annealing treatment. The thin film as-deposited by pulsed laser deposition exhibits a single crystalline phase epitaxially oriented along the [001] direction the SrTiO3 [001] substrate. Post-annealing in air was found to promote crystalline phase separation into tetragonal and cubic phases driven by the Jahn-Teller effect resulting in the formation of the nano-zigzag pattern. The structural and magnetic properties of the nanostructured films strongly depend on the annealing time, which can be attributed to the inter-diffusion of Ga and Mn ions.

Automated summary

The study demonstrates the formation of self-organized nanostructures in CoGa0.8Mn1.2O4 thin films through thermal annealing. Post-annealing in air promotes crystalline phase separation into tetragonal and cubic phases, resulting in the formation of a nano-zigzag pattern. The structural and magnetic properties of the nanostructured films strongly depend on the annealing time due to the inter-diffusion of Ga and Mn ions.