Magnetic Properties of PLD Grown Expitaxial Double Perovskite Thin Films*

Transition metal oxides with a double perovskite structure A$_{2}$FeMoO$_{6}$ and (A = Ca, Ba, Sr) has attracted a great deal of attention owing to their high magnetic transition temperatures and spin dependent transport properties. Electronic structure calculations and experimental results show that these materials are half-metallic ferrimagnets with localized up-spin electrons on the Fe ions and itinerant down-spin electrons shared between Fe and Mo. The Fe and Mo atoms are ordered on alternating, corner-shared octahedral sites, however, the ordered array can have imperfections that are dependent upon synthesis conditions. We have grown, using a pulsed laser deposition device, epitaxial double perovskite thin films. These films have been characterized by SQUID, resistivity, and x-ray crystallography measurements. The measurements show that double perovskite thin films can be grown with a high degree of order between the Fe and Mo atoms. Thus these materials can be attractive candidates for spin electronic devices.