Growth of “colossal” magnetoresistance heterostructures by molecular beam epitaxy

We discuss the heteroepitaxial growth of La1−xSrxMnO3 films and CaTiO3 insulating barriers by molecular beam epitaxy. We find that the surface morphology and residual resistivity of the manganite electrodes is critically dependent on the film stoichiometry. The most important parameter is the concentration of La+Sr (cubic perovskite A-site cations) to that of Mn (B-site cation). If La+Sr is supplied in slight excess, the films grow with atomically flat surfaces, but the residual resistivity at 4.2K is high (as high as 6500 µΩ-cm), and Curie temperature (Tc) low (<300 K). If Mn is supplied in slight excess, the films have high Tc (370 K) and residual resistivity (35 µΩ-cm) better than bulk single crystal values, but the surface is no longer atomically flat. There appears to be a very narrow region of phase space where it is possible to have low resistivity, high Tc films with atomically flat surfaces. This is precisely where one would like to place heterostructure devices.