Growth and structural studies of Fe O rMgO superlattices

A series of Fe3O4rMgO superlattices, with MgO fixed at ;20 A°and Fe3O4 varied from 10 to 80 A°, are fabricated on MgO 001. and related substrates with an oxygen plasma assisted molecular beam epitaxy MBE.. The samples were analysed by in situ reflection high-energy electron diffraction RHEED., ex situ X-ray diffraction XRD., and X-ray absorption spectroscopy XAS.. It is observed that these oxide films have single crystalline quality along the same orientation as the substrates, even for Fe3O4 as thin as about one unit cell. Sharp interfaces between layers were obtained by appropriate arrangement of cations during the growth. The interfacial strain originated from the lattice misfit between the parent materials and substrate is accommodated by a tetragonal distortion of Fe3O4. This effect results in an extremely stable growth mode of these superlattices. q2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.