Layer-by-layer epitaxial thin films of the pyrochlore Tb2Ti2O7

Nanotechnology. 2017 Feb 3;28(5):055708. doi: 10.1088/1361-6528/aa5112. Epub 2016 Dec 29.

Abstract

Layer-by-layer epitaxial growth of the pyrochlore magnet Tb2Ti2O7 on the isostructural substrate Y2Ti2O7 results in high-quality single crystal films of up to 60 nm thickness. Substrate-induced strain is shown to act as a strong and controlled perturbation to the exotic magnetism of Tb2Ti2O7, opening up the general prospect of strain-engineering the diverse magnetic and electrical properties of pyrochlore oxides.