Artificial construction of SrO/(La, Sr)MnO3 layered perovskite superlattice by laser molecular-beam epitaxy

Epitaxial thin films of layered perovskite (La, Sr)(3)Mn2O7 have been artificially grown by atomic-layer stacking of SrO and (La, Sr)MnO3 [artificial SrO/(La, Sr)MnO3 superlattice] using laser molecular-beam epitaxy on an SrTiO3(001) substrate at low processing temperature. Reflection high-energy electron diffraction patterns indicate the flat surface of the films and the layer-by-layer growth mode. X-ray diffraction patterns confirm that c-axis-oriented Ruddlesden-Popper layered (La, Sr)(3)Mn2O7 thin films can be grown at a substrate temperature as low as 580 degrees C. The resulting film exhibited ferromagnetism with a Curie temperature of 75 K. (C) 2000 American Institute of Physics. [S0003-6951(00)03024-2].