Orientation control of the orbital ordering plane in epitaxial LaMnO3 thin films by misfit strain

Abstract

We investigate the effects of misfit strain on the orbital order of epitaxial lanthanum manganite thin films grown on (LaAlO3)(0.3)-(Sr2AlTaO6) (0.7) (LSAT) and GdScO3 (GSO) substrates. Resonant X-ray scattering near the Mn K-edge is employed to identify the cooperative Jahn-Teller distortion at room temperature and determine the orientation of the orbital-ordered plane (OOP). We find that coherent growth on LSAT (GSO) makes the OOPs be vertical (parallel) to the film surface. This finding not only offers useful insight into the interplay between misfit strain and orbital order, but also holds promise for strain control of orbital-dependent physical properties. Copyright (C) EPLA, 2016