Published online by Cambridge University Press: 10 February 2011
We have grown epitaxial thin films of antiferromagnetic ruthenate Sr2YRuO6 on miscut (001) SrTiO3 by 90° off-axis sputtering. Sr2YRuO6 is a unique material that allows us to grow epitaxial ferromagnetic/antiferromagnetic heterostructures. Antiferromagnetic Sr2YRuO6 has the same pseudo-cubic perovskite crystal structure as the ferromagnetic conductive oxide SrRuO3. The Sr2YRuO6 perovskite crystal structure has Y and pentavalent Ru located on the octahedral sites and the pseudo-cubic lattice parameter of 4.08Å. The Neel temperature of bulk Sr2YRuO6 is known to be 26K. Four-circle X-ray diffraction analysis revealed the Sr2YRuO6 films are purely (110) normal to the substrate with two 90° domains in the plane. We have also grown epitaxial heterostructures of SrRuO3/Sr2YRuO6. These bilayers permit detailed studies of the magnetic exchange bias phenomena at these interfaces, including the role of uncompensated spins thought to arise from interface roughness. Magnetization measurements on the SrRuO3/Sr2YRuO6 heterostructures show a shifting of the hysteresis loop, indicating exchange bias. Such exchange-biased interfaces are important for electrode pinning in magnetic tunnel junctions.