Growth mode of (111) oriented spinel type ZnFe2O4 thin film by laser-molecular beam epitaxy technique

Epitaxial thin films of spinel ZnFe2O4 were grown along the 〈111〉 direction using laser-molecular beam epitaxy (laser-MBE) on an Al2O3(0001) single crystal substrate. Reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED) patterns and its intensity oscillation indicate flat surface and keeping layer-by-layer growth modes of films. It was found that one cycle of intensity oscillation corresponded to oxygen layer growth: that is one magnetic Kagomé layer, along the 〈111〉 direction. The produced ZnFe2O4 film exhibited antiferromagnetism with a Néel temperature of 43 K.