We present a detailed study about the substrate-induced strain and thickness effects on the structure and magnetic properties of La0.5Sr0.5CoO3 films. The in-plane tensile or compressive strain imposed by four different substrates configures an in-plane or out-of-plane easy axis, respectively. The presence of a soft magnetic phase at the interface is also conditioned by the type of strain. The obtained results are discussed in terms of the different anisotropies that participate and control the final magnetic behavior. The relevance of these results lies in the feasibility of La0.5Sr0.5CoO3 in memory applications and spintronic devices.
Keywords: ferromagnetism; oxides; thin films.