New J. Phys. 10, 063024 (2008)

M Ziese, I Vrejoiu, A Setzer, A Lotnyk and D Hesse

Abstract

The magnetic properties of three epitaxial La_0.7Sr_0.3MnO₃ films of thickness 5, 15 and 40 nm grown on SrTiO₃ (001) substrates were investigated. The structural transition of the SrTiO₃ substrate induces a magnetic transition in the manganite films due to magnetoelastic coupling. Below the temperature of the structural transition additional steps in the magnetization reversal characteristics appear characterized by clearly defined coercive fields. These additional coercive fields depend on the cooling history of the sample and are related to the formation of structural domains in the La_0.7Sr_0.3MnO₃ films induced by the substrate.