Self-Assembled Magnetic Metallic Nanopillars in Ceramic Matrix with Anisotropic Magnetic and Electrical Transport Properties.

Ordered arrays of metallic nanopillars embedded in a ceramic matrix have recently attracted considerable interest for their multifunctionality in advanced devices. A number of hurdles need to be overcome for achieving practical devices, including selections of metal–ceramic combination, creation of tunable and ordered structure, and control of strain state. In this article, we demonstrate major advances to create such a fine nanoscale structure, i.e., epitaxial self-assembled vertically aligned metal–ceramic composite, in one-step growth using pulsed laser deposition. Tunable diameter and spacing of the nanopillars can be achieved by controlling the growth parameters such as deposition temperature. The magnetic metal–ceramic composite thin films demonstrate uniaxial anisotropic magnetic properties and enhanced coercivity compared to that of bulk metal. The system also presents unique anisotropic electrical transport properties under in-plane and out-of-plane directions. This work paves a new avenue to fab...