Interface Engineered Room-Temperature Ferromagnetic Insulating State in Ultrathin Manganite Films.

Ultrathin epitaxial films of ferromagnetic insulators (FMIs) with Curie temperatures near room temperature are critically needed for use in dissipationless quantum computation and spintronic devices. However, such materials are extremely rare. Here, a room-temperature FMI is achieved in ultrathin LaBaMnO films grown on SrTiO substrates via an interface proximity effect. Detailed scanning transmission electron microscopy images clearly demonstrate that MnO octahedral rotations in LaBaMnO close to the interface are strongly suppressed. As determined from in situ X-ray photoemission spectroscopy, O -edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy, and density functional theory, the realization of the FMI state arises from a reduction of Mn e bandwidth caused by the quenched MnO octahedral rotations. The emerging FMI state in LaBaMnO together with necessary coherent interface achieved with the perovskite substrate gives very high potential for future high performance electronic devices.