Lattice, deformation and magnetic properties in epitaxial thin films of Sr1-xBaxRuO3

Crystal structure and magnetic properties in epitaxially grown Sr1-xBaxRuO3 on SrTiO3 substrates were determined. Epitaxial Sr1-xBaxRuO3 exhibits a si mple perovskite structure in the whole region of the Ba/Sr ratio, in contra st to the complex hexagonal layered perovskite of Ba-rich bulk Sr1-xBaxRuO3 , which was plane-sharing oxygen octahedra. Tetragonal deformation was enha nced from pseudocubic in SrRuO3 to a highly distorted tetragonal lattice in BaRuO3, Electronic properties such as conductivity and magnetization were examined, A metal-insulator transition was not observed in this system,and metallic conductivity was maintained in the whole region of Ba concentratio n. Ferromagnetic ordering at 160 K seen in bulk SrRuO3 was observed to be s uppressed in the Sr1-xBaxRuO3 films with increasing tetragonal deformation and Curie temperatures decreased to 50 K in BaRuO3. (C) 1998 American Insti tute of Physics. [S0003-6951(98)03535-9].